A New World
by thebooknerd2906
Summary: After a war that has devastated the world, a new civilisation has emerged. Even worse than the previous, and it's Eren's goal to fix it. Kidnapped by the Scout regiment and forced to be a certain Captain's hostage until Grisha pays the ransom, can Eren escape? What will Happen? Fem!Eren x Levi (Riren) Rated M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

 **Hey guys, it's thebooknerd2906 here with an update on the story. As many of my reviews have been stating the same thing I thought I'd address them here. In reference to the lack of paragraphs, it seems in the earlier chapters I wrote i completely forgot them however I will be editing the entire story once it has finished which will be pretty soon so please bare with until then. In the later chapters though it seems like the copy and pasting from Quotev has deleted some of them, which I will also fix when i edit. Please continue to leave your reviews, I really do appreciate them all. Well aside from the ones which go along the lines of 'This is stupid, this sucks etc'. I get people don't have to like my work but it is rude and only hurts feelings. Constructive criticism is useful as I can make changes appropriately. The rude comments are not. And in response to the fact there is no disclaimer, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot so here it is. I'm only going to post on the first chapter however because I'd have to edit 35 other chapters which I don't really have time for at the moment.**

 ***DISCLAIMER***

 **ALL CHARACTERS AND REFERENCES TO THE ANIME OR MANGA BELONG TO THE ORIGINAL CONTENT CREATORS AND I DO NOT OWN THEM. HOWEVER THE PLOT IS MY IDEA AND ALL ORIGINAL CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME (if I have included any of them). THANK YOU.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoy my story. Please leave a review of what you think but please no mean comments.**

 **\- thebooknerd2906**

* * *

"Dad! Dad?" I cried out, stumbling through the crowded market square. "Dad!" Where could he be? He was just by my side, he couldn't have gone far. He must of heard me, why wasn't he responding? A narrow, dark alleyway loomed ahead of me, crowds of people swarming past oblivious to it. He must of gone in there, it's the only reasonable place he could have gone to be able to disappear so quickly. I shoved my way through the busy street, angering some of the crowd. I didn't care though, I needed to find my Dad. Running down the constricting, concrete alleyway, I called out for him; "Dad! Please! Please come back! Where did you go?" I stopped dead in my tracks. This was pointless, even if he did hear me, he wasn't going to respond. Why did he leave? I have no idea, we probably will never know. My back hit the harsh brick wall and I sank to the floor, tears began flowing down my face; splashing onto the dirty floor effortlessly. "Why did you have to leave us Dad?"

"Hey guys! Look over here. Look at this pretty young thing"  
"How old do you think she is?"  
"I'd like to have some fun with her" My head shot up and my eyes widened at the sight. Three, large men were leering over me, a menacing gleam in their eye. Their intentions for me obviously weren't good. I had to get away. No, I need to get away. A strong hand clamped down on my neck, pinning my body against the wall, another hand griped my waist and tugged at my skirt. This was it. Alarms were blazing in my head, how can I break free without seriously injuring myself? The hand traveled further up my thigh, tainting my flesh, forever dirtying it. There was three of them and no way out, giving up hope, I accepted my fate. Tears escaped before I could stop them, sending them into fits of laughter.  
"What's wrong little bird?"  
"Do you not like it?" One of them sniggered. Anger pulsed through my body, giving me the courage to spit in there face. "You little bitch" another one hissed tightening his grip around my neck. Suddenly the hand on my leg was gone and one of the men had dropped to the floor. What was happening. The grip on my neck slackened and the man dropped to the floor like a stone. I clenched my eyes shut, anxious that whatever this was, was worse than my previous attackers. Hesitantly I opened one eye to see a slender man repeatedly attacking the remaining attacker. Who was he? Suddenly he turned to me, his eyes widened before his face fell expressionless again. He approached me and bent down so he was eye level. He brought a hand to my cheek, giving a confronting stroke.  
"You're ok now. Can you tell me your name?" The man asked.  
"My father told me not to give my name out to people I do not know" I replied cautiously.  
"Your father must be an intelligent man, I'm Levi. Do you need me to help escort you home? They didn't do anything to you, did they?" He smiled, offering me a hand up.  
"He was... No they didn't luckily. I would appreciate it but you don't have to. Thank for your help anyway Levy" I answered, taking his hand.  
"It would bring me comfort knowing that you got home safely and it's my duty. It's pronounce Lev-i not Lev-y by the way." Levi muttered, pulling me out of the alleyway, away from the three unconscious thugs.  
"Thank you Levi. My name is Eren Yeager. I live at 384 west street" I thanked him, stumbling after him.  
"Yeager... You're Doctor Yeager's kid?" Levi asked  
"Yes, you know him ?"  
"You could say that"  
Who was this man? How did he know Dad?

* * *

My name is Eren Yeager, I'm 17 years old and I'm the only female leader of a faction. What is a faction you might ask? Well it's a long story, so lets start at the beginning. In the year 2156 there was a great war between America and the rest of the world, nobody knows the real reason war broke out, it just did and the end result was devastating. Over 3/4 of the world's population was wiped out; some were lost through serving in the wars, others from disease, famine and bombs. It was the worst conflict to date. We lost just over half of the usable land in the world from America's nuclear bombs; that might seem like we had a lot left, but that amount was soon halved when the earthquakes and tsunami's wiped out most of Asia along with a couple thousand more people. The remaining survivors went to set up what is now known as Hircea (which is located in the area around central Europe) and the English language was chosen as the official language. Factions were set up to help keep the peace in the country but then branched out and became the parties that ran the country. The leading faction was generally the one which had the biggest influence around the time of the election. We say that it's fair and democratic but its actuality it's more corrupt than the original system. So where do I fit into this equation? My father; Grisha Yeager went missing five years ago; no one knows where he went or why he left, he just abandoned us. Sounds like father of the year material, right? And after his disappearance, I decided to form my faction; Maria. We're a relatively small faction compared to most, but we're still one of the strongest; this is down to our closeness and ambition to get rid of the evil that this world has been smothered in since the beginning of man. So that's the story behind us.

* * *

"Eren Yeager! Get up for God sake!" I felt the quilt being ripped off and my body was assaulted by the cold, relentless air.  
"Why have you done this to me?" I moaned curling up in a ball.  
"Eren! We have a mission this morning, you can sleep when we return" Mikasa scolded, yanking me out of the bed.  
"I hate you so much Mikasa" I groaned as I shuffled after her.  
"Oh I know, you tell me every morning. As you slept in, you have no time to have breakfast or shower. Just get dressed and meet us in the command room. For a leader of a faction you are so unorganised it's funny." She laughed leaving me to change into our faction's uniform. Mikasa was like a sister to me but sometimes I wanted to strangle her.

After I was dressed, I strode into our meeting place and began our mission.  
"So what's our mission?" I asked Armin, he was hopeless when it came to field work but he was the strongest taction that any one had.  
"We need to protect the town's stronghold from the Scout's it seems." Armin explained with a look of confusion mirroring the rest of the room.  
"Why do we need to protect the council from its own members? Why have they hired us to do the job?" Mikasa inquired.  
"I can't answer that, I have no idea why they can't do it themselves but we've been hired to do it -  
"A job's a job, not matter who set it. We have to do it, it's our job" I interrupted, annoyed that they were questioning the customer.  
"This sounds like a trap" Jean said bluntly.  
"How Jean? How is it a trap" I asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Listen you suicidal blockhead, we need to discuss claims like this before we do the job or we could end up dead. Do you want to die?" Jean hissed. Don't get me wrong, I like Jean but he's a complete twat sometimes; we have a friendly rivalry to put it bluntly.  
"Shut up horse face, I understand that but how is it a trap? I don't see how it could be, after all what use to they have for us?" I rolled my eyes and began looking through the plan's that Armin had drawn up.  
"He does have a point Jean, even I don't see how this could be a trap" Armin agreed and Mikasa nodded.  
"Fine, It was just an idea." Jean frowned, not convinced. Armin explained to everyone what they had to do and laid down the objective for the mission. After 20 mins he'd gone through everything and we were preparing to head out. This meant grabbing our 3D Maneuvering gear and Jackets and getting on our horses. My horse was a handful, so I always left later than everyone else. They didn't care though; as I was the most skilled one (after Mikasa of course) and had my own objective. I combed Zek's hair and strapped his saddle on.  
"Are you going to be good this time?"


	2. Chapter 2

The wind whipped through my long, chocolate locks (which I really needed to cut; they'd interfere with future missions) as my horse stormed through the evergreen forest, I need to catch up, my squad would be angry if I was late again. I could hear shouts behind me but they were to faint for me to be able to understand what they were saying. Something bad was going to happen... I could just sense it. I urged Zeke to speed up so I could reach my destination faster and maybe escape this feeling of uneasiness which clung to me like a bad smell. Eyes pierced my back, like thousands of tiny daggers ripping at my flesh; invading every inch of me. My pursuers eyes were latched on me like I were the prized cow on a farm. They were watching my every movement; stalking me as if I was their prey, waiting to pounce on me when the opportunity presented itself. Clutching at the reins nervously, I urged my horse to go faster, which did nothing but calmed the ferocious storms that were raging on in the pit of my stomach. Why was I so afraid of this... I was supposed to be the cool, collected leader of the Maria faction; stop getting worked up over this Yeager! I scolded myself and tried to collect myself to the best of my ability but the sound of hooves only seemed to get louder and closer. My eyes flicked around the forest looking for an escape route. If worst came to worse I'd have to dismount Zeke and take to the trees, but that was risky and I'd surely be caught. The thudding became deafening; they were right behind me. Zeke couldn't go any faster. It just wasn't possible. This was the end. Of what? I couldn't be sure. My life perhaps. My freedom. Most definitely. Might as well go down fighting, I smirked to myself. I could feel the horses becoming almost level with Zeke, this should be fun.

I shot my grapples at the nearest tree and let my 3D Maneuvering gear effortlessly take me to the tree; the bark cracked and splintered at where the grapple had pierced it. I quickly but hastily zipped from one tree to the next, not daring to look back. I could hear the sounds of other grapples ripping and grabbing at the trees around me and the frustrated cries of those trying to catch me. What did they want from me? Were the a rival faction trying to kill me for power? It could only be the Scouts; they were the only ones that truly detested my faction, my family. I veered to the right, trying to disorientate the pursuers. Hoping this distraction would work, or at least give me some time, I tried to locate the base we had in this forest. Unfortunately my efforts were dashed as my grapple latched on to the next tree, only to dislodge as I was half way between both trees. Plummeting to the ground, I curled into a ball. Maybe dying this way would be a better way to go. A blinding, white hot pain shot through my body, slicing every inch of my body that it could. My vision went fuzzy and the ground began to spin. I could hear voices distantly but I knew they were my pursuers, I knew they were here to take me. It was just like that night five years ago, how could I be so stupid, so ignorant, so foolish to let this happen to me again. And I think I have the right to call myself a leader. How pathetic. I don't even run anything, my squad does it all for me. I useless. No one will miss me after these thugs kill me. Come on guys, hurry up. End my miserable life, do it right now. Before they see how much of a failure I've become. A tears escaped and rolled down my face, I'm sorry Mikasa.

"Hurry up, we need to get her to the infirmary. Commander Erwin will be furious if we let her die." A deep, gravelly voice rang out, like a lighthouse through thick, dense fog.  
"But Captain she's as good as dead. What use is she now?" A higher, whiner voice pierced my ear drum. I let out a loud groan, I need to get away, but I'm just so tired. I want to sleep.  
"Petra, do not question my orders" The man barked sharply. I felt a thick gauze being wound around my head and a piece of material tied around my shoulder. Why were the helping me, can't they see I'm a lost cause. Don't waste your supplies on me.  
"But Captain Levi-  
"Petra, now" He shouted. My eyes shot open; the name Levi was so familiar. Where had I heard it before? I let my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness and let the fog clear. It seemed to have strayed from my mind and invaded my vision. Once it had cleared I scanned my surroundings. The tree I had fallen into was stained red with my blood, scraps of loose bark were hanging of haphazardly and the leaves carelessly strewn around my were also soaked a dark crimson which glistened in the sunlight. The person bent over me, tending to my wounds must have been Petra. She was a pretty blonde girl with bright, honey colored eyes which were wide and child like, filled with innocence. Thick black lashes framed her eyes and her petite mouth was drawn back in a grimace, she was also frowning in concentration. Was I really that badly hurt?  
"Petra is she awake yet?" The man asked, a bored tone set in his voice. My eyes darted over to the source of question. The man was facing away from us, he seemed so familiar, I just couldn't remember where I'd seen him last.  
"Sir I think she is conscious" Petra replied, quickly glancing at my face before returning her attention to tending my wounds.  
"She is! Excellent. We can leave sooner than I expected then" He said, still sounding expressionless. What was with that guy? My eyes widened in shock as he slowly turned around. It was him! My savior. Why was he here with these thugs? His appearance had changed quite a lot since I had last seen him. He now had a wave of silky raven locks styled in a sleek undercut and he had filled out more, his shoulders were broader, his jaw more defined and his body was more lean and muscular. However, the kindness I had once seen in Levi's eyes was no longer there and in its place was a hard, emotionless stare, making his steely blue eyes even colder than they once were. Levi. What had happened to you?  
"Maybe it would have been easier to transport her unconscious. Do you think so Petra?" Levi asked, bitterness laced it his tone.  
"Most defiantly Sir. She could try to escape at any moment." Petra agreed hastily, shaking her head in agreement.  
"I don't think she'd try to run away. She's more the kind to sit there and accept that whatever happens is her fate" He replied, staring knowingly into my eyes.  
"If you say so Sir" Petra said,clearly disbelieving what Levi had just said.  
"Knock her out once you have finished treating her wounds Petra. I would hate to be wrong about her escaping after all the trouble we've gone to, to obtain her. I shall go get the carriage. And you. Erin right? Stay still, move and I've ordered Gunther here to kill you." Levi order, flicking his cape as he left. This was the last thing I saw before everything went black. Why was fate so cruel?

* * *

I awoke to the sound of metal clanging, where was I? There was a soreness in my arms, like they were being held above my head. I tried to move my hands, but as I suspected they had been chained above my head, kept in place by harsh, heavy, metal handcuffs. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, which was only ebbed away slightly by the subtle burning of the torches. By the looks of it I was being held in a dungeon. And I was now dress in some thing that looked like someone had stitched arm holes on to a potato sack. There were thick iron bars protruding from the wall in front of me, this is most defiantly a dungeon. Levi had brought me to some dungeon. I noticed three dark shadows sat on the other side of the confining iron door, they seemed to be caught having there own conversation.  
"Commander I think she may be awake." A voice said, approaching the gate. As the person got closer, I could just about make out there face. I had no idea who this was, however I concluded that the one slouched against the wall was in fact Captain Levi. I spat at the person who approached me. How dare they come near me after what they have done.  
"Commander she's defiantly awake" The voice confirmed. A light flared up on the opposite side of the gate and a large, muscular, blonde man was revealed alongside Captain Levi.  
"Now, Eren. I know you must be confused about what is happening right now. I also apologize for the roughness of my men, I never intended for you to be harmed. However you have some information that is off vital importance to us. So if you do not co-operate, I will be forced to used more extreme methods. And nobody wants that" Erwin began.  
"Speak for yourself Erwin" Levi gave a small smirk, aimed at me.  
"Hush now Levi. " Erwin reprimanded scowling at the smaller man. "Now Eren Can you tell us something?"

"Depends what that is!"  
"Where is Dr. Yeager? Where is your father?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Dammit you little brat! Just tell us where he is and we'll be done with you" Levi snarled angrily. He was crouched over me, readying himself to deliver the next blow. I didn't know where Grisha was, however even if I did I still wouldn't tell them where he was. Beating me was fruitless, and a waste of their time. A thick river of dark, scarlet blood was trickling down my cheek from where my eyebrow had split from being beaten relentlessly. My lip was swollen and I was sure one of my teeth had been knocked out as all I could taste was the disgustingly rich taste of copper. More blood was dripping from my broken nose and thin lashes of crimson decorated my body. Pain coursed through my body but still I held my tongue. I had already told them I had no idea where Grisha was but they didn't believe me and struck me for lying. I had decided that if I was going to be beaten either way, it would be for silence rather than telling the truth. There was no point trying to reason with these barbaric idiots. There's a reason why The Scout regiment had the reputation it did.

So what reputation did the Scouts have? Well, they were known as the cruellest, vilest segment of the faction but let me explain what the faction is first. Soon after the war a faction called Sina soon took control; this corrupt faction was divided into three segments. Those were the Military Police, the Garrison and the Scouts. The Military Police acted like pre-war police officers and solved the crimes that occurred however they dealt with no conflict. The garrison acts much like the army does and help fight the rebels and factions which go off the rails. Both factions are vital and have army training but are so disgustingly easy to bribe. The MP's often falsely arrest and imprison innocents, some by accident but most on purpose. How are the people supposed to be protected if the people protecting them care more about money and power then their safety and Justice? The Garrison are just as just as bad, they not only kill rouges and rouge factions but they hunt down factions that are gaining popularity and kill every single member. Effectively deleting their competitors and keeping Sina in power. The worst faction out of the three is the Scouts by far; how could they be worse you ask? Well they were originally set up to explore land beyond were the founders of Hircea judged to be safe and they aim to recapture and expand Hircea but that isn't all they do. Behind the scenes though, the Scouts acted more like hit men, trained assassins. They did all the illegal stuff. Whereas the Garrison dealt with low level factions, the Scouts were hired privately to take down higher ranking factions such as my own. They were ordered to kill anyone not a citizen of Hircea, kidnap targets and then torture them for information before killing them. They were soldiers trained from the highest ranks of Sina. The cream of the crop. The leading soldier in Sina, or at the least the Scouts, had often been described to be worth a hundred soldiers however no one knew who he was. I had aspired to be like him until I realised that the Sina faction were all monsters and anyone who condoned and supported that faction were truly despicable and were definitely going to hell.

As I hung there, blood trickling down my body, memories of that cursed day flash before my eyes. Invading my thoughts, maddening every thought, with its rotting touch. No, I don't want to remember that day, why was this happening? What had I done to deserve this?

 _"_ _Daddy where are you? Dad please, I'm scared."_ I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the memories. Still they clung to me, squeezing the life of out me slowly. I could remember the deep, drowning feeling of despair that I had been feeling that day.

 _I sunk down to my knees, sobbing desperately into my hands. Why had my dad left me in this place? Why had my dad abandoned me so soon after mother's death? Was it because I had not wanted to join Sina? Was I a failure of a daughter? I had not followed the family tradition. But why would I want to join that? I wanted to see the world, not sit around following orders. One thing was clear to me though. My dad hadn't wanted me._ That's right! Dad had wanted me to join Sina before he left; but I had furiously refused. That's why they have me now, right? Maybe Dad had promised them me only to run away after finding out he couldn't fulfil his promise. No that wasn't like him, he wasn't a coward. He wouldn't run from his problems.

Loud footsteps clacked on the crude stone floor in front of me. I knew it would be Levi, but I was too tired to bring my head up to face him. Why was he doing this? What did he have to gain? And then it hit me; this was the Scouts best soldier wasn't it? Levi was the infamous, ruthless solider that would go to any extent just to complete a mission. How ironic that my saviour had turned into this emotionless monster. I could feel him staring at me, burning a hole into my person. Does he even feel guilty for what he's done? Probably not. He was a Sina soldier after all.

"Come back for more have we? Better get your fix whilst I'm still alive, right?" I muttered under my breath, sarcasm and hatred inject into every single word that came out of my mouth.

"Shut it brat. You will only speak when spoken to. Got it?" He snarled, slapping me round the face with brutal force. My head snapped sharply to the side. A white hot sting pulsed in my face, but I was beside the point of caring. The pain didn't bother me anymore. What more could they do to me?

"Is that all you got old man? I bet your enjoying this. Are you not?" I said laughing.

"You're delirious. Shut it before I'm forced to break your jaw!" He commanded in an authorative tone. This sent me into fits of deranged laughter. The nerve of him, to think I would obey like a mindless puppet. Didn't he know who I was? I was the leader of Maria! The leader! And what was he? The captain of some section of his faction. Pathetic.

"You're sick in the head mate. What happened to the old Levi? My hero?" I said, sniggering. Trying to find a weak spot that would send some form of emotion into him. He was boring in this state, not at all like the torturer I'd imagined. In response to this, I saw his foot come flying towards me, striking my abdomen and temporarily winding me. The sudden blow to my stomach triggered my gag reflex and before I knew it the contents of my stomach had been emptied on the dirty, stone floor. Not that there had been much there to start off with.

"What? Did you not like that? Want to loosen these chains so we can talk like civilised beings? Or do you want to keep me chained here like a wild animal that you can do what you want with." I taunted him. I had to emit, taunting people was rather amusing and was bringing some light to this awful experience.

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you brat?" He said through gritted teeth, his fists were clenched and hung limply at his sides.

"Why should I take orders from someone in an inferior position? I'm the commander of my faction. However unlike Erwin, I'm the only commander." I sneered at him. This remark sent another few punches my way. I grimaced at the pain and then using all the strength I could muster to look Levi straight in the eye, a wide, menacing grin was stretched across my face.

"Your rank means nothing here brat. You are nothing brat. No you're not even nothing. You're worse than the stains I clean up off the street" He hissed. His slender hands were now wrapped around my delicate throat. His once gentle touch was now slowly squeezing the life out of me.

"Bite me" I gasped as my vision blurred. Maybe this would be how I died; the man who saved me years ago would now be the one to end it now. I guess you can't escape death more than twice.

"Levi! What an earth are you doing? Put her down right now!" Erwin boomed from the other side of the dungeon.

"This little brat needs to be put in her place. She's our prisoner but she still seems to think she deserves the respect of a commander" Levi snarled, abruptly letting go off me and letting m body fall slack against the chains. He could be a bit gentler with me.

"Still, is that any reason to kill her? You know she's a vital part of our mission Levi." Erwin reprimanded. Levi's face fell in a scowl. He marched off towards the exit to the dungeon as if he was going to leave. "Levi stay here please. I have business I need to talk to both of you about" Erwin said, glancing over at Levi with a serious look in his eyes. Levi let out an annoyed grunt before going to lean against the wall, arms crossed in frustration. This is the most emotive he's been since I met him again.

"As you know Eren, we cannot locate your father anywhere. He seems to have disappeared altogether. The last time we saw him was a month ago. You seem to have no idea where he is. So that leaves us as a stalemate. I have decided what I want to do with you but no, you won't be released. Any questions" Erwin explained, a glint of determination surfaced in his eyes. Where was he going with this? And what does he mean the last time he saw my father was a month ago?

"The last time I saw my father, he abandoned me. I think this was five years ago now. Why did you see one month ago? Why have you seen my father before me? He's been missing five years!" I cried in shock, fresh tears falling down my face. He's alive! But this is conformation he doesn't care about me, that he discarded me as if I was rubbish.

"I'm sorry Eren. I know this must be hard-

"Save your sympathy for someone who cares" I interrupted, wanting to wipe away my tears, my weakness.

"We've decided you will become one member of the Scouts personal slave until Grisha appears or pays ransom for you." Erwin explained, his face was now one of sorrow and sympathy. I take it he didn't like his job.

"Who's" I said bluntly

"We've given you to the most capable soldier. Don't worry you'll be safe as long as you keep in line and follow his orders." Erwin assured, now avoiding making eye contact with me. What was his problem?

"Whose slave will I be?" I said raising my voice. Why can no one ever give me a straight answer?

"You will be Captain Levi's personal servant/slave"


	4. Chapter 4

"You want me to be that pig's servant? Are you out of your mind? Grisha's never going to pay ransom for me. He doesn't care about me! He abandoned me for God sake!" I shouted my eyes wide in shock.

"Commander, are you sure? I don't think this the best solution to our problem." Levi asked, his face mirroring my own in shock.

"I didn't ask you though, did I Levi?" Erwin snapped, sending daggers at the shorter man instantly silencing Levi's complaints. "Now Eren, I'm aware that you don't like this. In fact it's what I most counted on. I've considered every other option, I'm afraid there's no other way. If we get no response from Grisha we'll release you after a year. You will get your freedom back in the future Eren. You have my word." Erwin explained, his head resting on his hands, as he tried to think of the best way to explain everything to us without upsetting either of us. However this time I wasn't going to sit down and take this. Oh no, I was going to fight. Fight to the end. The only way is to fight after all.

"Does that mean she'll be staying in my servant's quarters?" Levi questioned, boredom seeping into his tone as he picked at his nails.

"Yes, I would like Marco to go over her duties and any special requirements should be explained by you after Marco has finished. Eren will be transported upstairs straight after this discussion" Erwin answered, talking only to Levi as if I wasn't here. I think this new fate of mine was going to be worse than the one I had previously been dealt. Levi pulled out an ornate, shiny key from his trouser pocket and strode towards me. I felt one of the heavy, metal chains tighten as he picked it up, and then loosen as the handcuff was removed from my fragile wrists. My body fell to the floor like a stack of bricks being knocked over, my head almost smashing on to the floor but I caught myself before that could happen. Mustering all my strength, I dragged myself up off the floor. Standing, once again like the proud commander I once was. My body ached all over, soreness twinged in every muscle, in every movement. Levi had really done a number on me. Before I realised, I felt fingers grab onto my arm and cool metal loop around my wrist. Alarms blazed in my head, they're going to handcuff me again. I can't let that happen. Adrenalin flooded my being, giving me the false courage to fight back. I struggled against the vice like grip, but it was no good, I was only injuring myself further. Desperately, I brought my leg behind me and kicked Levi in the groin. I knew I'd regret this if I got caught but it was worth a try. His hand reflexively let go and I used this to my advantage. Swivelling round to face him, I dodged a punch that was flying my way. As he swung towards me, I reached out and grabbed his arm. Surprise flashed across his face before being replaced by his almost constant stony demeanour. Using the grip on his arm, I swung my leg behind his legs, tripping and sending him falling to the floor like a boulder being dropped into water. Brilliant, I could now use this as an opportunity to escape. My eyes scanned for a clear exit way in this dark, dank dungeon, which proved more difficult than I initially thought as I could barely see in front of me. Finally locating the gate, I sprinted towards the exit only to find Levi had caught my ankle and I was now falling, head first to the hard floor.

"You little brat, we could have killed you" Levi spat, straddling me to keep me pinned down to the floor. "Erwin, I think we're going to need to use the local anaesthetic to get her to the servant's wing. She's not very co-operative at the moment." Levi called out, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde man.

"I wish you'd just go along with our plans, Eren. We're here to help you" Levi sighed under his breath, almost too quiet for me to detect.

"That's a last resort though Levi! Are you sure?" Erwin asked, clearly surprised. His shoes clacked on the floor as he approached us.

"I'm sure, she's more strong willed than the others but that's to be expected right? She is a leader of the 2nd most powerful faction" Levi said with a dry laugh.

"Alright, if you insist" Erwin sighed reluctantly, opening the small, canvas pouch that hung loosely around his waist. He reached his hand into the opening and pulled out a large needle, filled with anaesthetic. My eyes widened in fear, I struggled against Levi's grip. No! Please don't. I tried to scream but the words came out as strangled, fearful sobs. A sharp sting ruptured my thoughts, and I could feel myself slipping out of consciousness, my mind being engulfed in a thick fog. Eyes drooping, I tried to find my strength but I became weaker and weaker before everything went black. I thought I heard something before I became unconscious, it sounded like Levi.

"I wish thing's didn't have to be like this." But I couldn't be sure. I can't be sure of anything anymore.

Sunlight shone brightly across the room, into my eyes. Waking me from the deep sleep I had been enjoying. Sitting up, I let the hazy fog clear from my mind. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this refreshed. My surroundings caught my attention, I didn't recognise this place. Where was I? Memories of the previous nights flashed before my eyes. The ransom agreement, the fight and being knocked out. Panic rose in my mind, I needed to escape this prison. I couldn't become his servant. It would break my person, my mind, my everything. Frantically my eyes darted from corner to corner of the room, looking for an escape. There was one large window on the centre of the wall opposite me and a large oak door on the wall. Scrambling off of the bed, I tiptoed over to the window. I pulled the handle. Locked. Dammit. I peered out of the frosted glass trying to make out what laid on the other side of the glass. I needed to find something I could use as a lock pick. Did I have any hair pins still in my hair? I brought my hands up to try and find one, checking the place I always left one in. Jack pot, they'd left this one in. Quickly removing it, I bent it out of shape and inserted it into the lock. I attempted to unlock the window with my pin but my efforts were fruitless, this lock was royal security level. My hair pin would do, I needed my lock picks which I had left in my jacket.

"No, no, no" I muttered frustrated, trying harder to unpick the lock. I couldn't be stuck here. I didn't hear the door click open as I struggled to pick the lock.

"Eren, what an earth are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" a foreign voice exclaimed, filled with concern and worry. That was funny, nobody cared in this place. My head quickly snapped in the direction the voice had come from. Stood in front of the now wide open door was a boy with dark chestnut hair, wide hazel eyes and freckles splashed over his face. A look of anxiety was sprawled across the entirety of his face.

"Who are you?" I snarled defensively, hostillity coming of me in dark waves.

"It's ok Eren! I'm not here to hurt you! I'm Marco Bott! I'm the Levi's head servant. I was told that once I heard movement in this room I was to come and explain your duties to you! I hope we can be friends Eren!" He beamed at me, his eyes creasing in the widest, most innocent smile I had ever seen.

"Sorry for my rudeness Marco, I just haven't had the most pleasant experience with anyone at this place." My voice dripped with hatred at the last part of my sentence. I was going to destroy this faction, even if it was the last thing I did.

"Its fine, the people are all right once you get to know them" He laughed hesitantly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "Do you want me to explain your duties? It will only take a few minutes" He asked, nervousness still apparent in his tone.

"Sure, looks like I'm never escaping this place" I joked, plonking myself heavily down on the bed.

"Ok, so you have a pretty easy job, the hardest part will be meeting Levi's expectations. It will be your job to make sure every room in Levi's flat is spotless. And I mean spotless. This should take your entire day. The other responsibility you have is to take Levi his meals when he is home. You will usually bring them to him in his study. That essentially is all you have to do aside from any tasks Levi asks you to do. They will take priority of course. And Eren, please don't try to escape again. You'll only make it worse for yourself" Marco rambled, trying to explain everything to the best point he could.

"Ok, sounds pretty easy. Do I start today or tomorrow?" I asked, nonchalantly.

"Tod-

"Are you finished with the little brat yet?" Levi strode in arrogantly. He looked in my direction and his face drew up into a sneer. My eyes flicked nervously to the window. I'd left the pin inside of the lock. I hope he hadn't noticed it. Act natural Eren, you'll only drawn attention to yourself.

"Yes sir!" Marco replied, bringing his hand up in a salute and standing to attention.

"At ease Marco, you're not a soldier anymore. Now, why is Eren acting weird? Please do not lie to me Marco" Levi asked, eyeing me up.

"I caught her trying to pick the lock on the window, sir" Marco whimpered, obeying obediently like a little dog afraid of its master. I glared at Marco, only to feel guilty. He was staring at me with a sorrowful, apologetic look. Levi narrowed his eyes at me and walked over to the window to inspect further. He pulled pin out of the window. A look of pity crossed of his face before it settled on anger. He held the pin out at me, glaring straight into my eyes.

"Why do you insist on trying to escape Eren? What do you hope to achieve? Where will you go? Go back to your faction and we'll simply recapture you only we'll kill your friends in the process." Levi shouted, his face turning a bright shade a ruby.

"Because I'd rather die trying to escape than be kept here a prisoner! Isn't it better to fight for freedom then sit here waiting for someone to come and save you?" I screamed back at him.

"Well, if that's how you feel, I hope you succeed in your suicide mission, brat" He hissed, turning on his heels and leaving the room. Before he left, he turned to face Marco. "I'll be back in the evening to go through her duties. Can you make sure she's somewhat sociable in time for that?" He asked and without receiving a response from Marco, he left.

"Yes sir" Marco trailed of, fear predominant in his eyes. "You've really screwed up this time Eren"


	5. Chapter 5

Pacing up and down the corridor before I entered Levi' study, I was thinking about my actions. Would this situation be different if I had just complied when they first tried to catch me? Would I be treated the way I'm being treated? This was no use! Thinking about the past and asking myself what ifs wouldn't change anything. I shouldn't waste my time even considering it! I will apologise to Levi though, I have made the decision to not attempt to escape and take this year's imprisonment as punishment for all the wrong I've done in my life. Maybe doing this would improve public relations with Maria and Sina, hopefully. Placing my hand on the ornate, brass door knob, I gave one last thought to my decisions and mustered up all the confidence I had. These next few moments of my life would be torture. I physically couldn't stand the man my saviour had become. Hell, I don't even know if he was like this before anyway. I knocked on the door and waited for the ok to enter.

"What are you doing standing outside my door Eren?" Levi asked, appearing from behind me

"How long have you been there, Sir?" I said politely.

"Long enough to question your mental health. You've been stood with your hand on my door knob for over 10 minutes" Levi answered, confusion etched on his face.

"I'm sorry Sir. I came to talk to you however I had to think about what I was going to say before I came barging in here" I explained myself, bowing my head to him.

"What are you doing Eren? Why are you acting this way? No, answer that question in my study. Come inside and sit down Eren." He said, pulling me into his study with him. Why was he being nice to me all of a sudden? I didn't deserve nice treatment after the way I've treated everyone. No, shut up Eren. Yes you do. After all I've been through here; the least I deserve is that. My eyes widened as I entered Levi's study, to say it was grand would be putting it bluntly. I don't mean grand as in the sense everything is decorated with gold trimmings and expensive furnishing. No, Levi's study was very simplistic but just as impressive to look at.

"Sit down on the chair in front of my desk and we'll talk about what I want you to do during your stay here" Levi said, directing me towards the plush, black velvet seat positioned in front of his desk which was a white ash desk with black marble on its surface. I sat myself down quickly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. The seat sank under my weight but oh my lord was it comfortable.

"So Eren. Why are you acting this way? I'm assuming it has something to do with what you were thinking about so deeply earlier. Am I right?" Levi continued the conversation, gracefully taking his seat opposite me.

"I've been thinking, if I have to spend a year here. It would be better to be civil towards each other. And if that is the case then I will address you formally as someone of my position should. I hope you will respect that. The past is the past; we are starting a new today. I'm now just Eren Yeager, servant of Levi's household. However I'm not suggesting we forget the past though." I explained my thoughts to him, he listened carefully, and nodding to the bits he agreed with. I left out the parts that were about strengthening the relationship between our two factions; he didn't need to know that at the moment and it would only annoy him.

"I accept your proposal Eren. I will treat you just as I would Marco. Welcome to Raven Manor, my home. I hope you find your time working with us an enjoyable experience. Do you have any questions before I go over what I expect of you?" Levi smiled coldness still apparent in his eyes.

"I have no questions for the time being Sir. Please carry on" I replied, itching to escape this place. After being in this room for an extended period of time I was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. Everything was spotless, in a specific order and nothing was out of place. I did not like these sterile kinds of environments; being a clumsy person I knew that I would ruin them.

"Excellent. I do not expect any interruptions. You may ask questions when I'm done. Is that clear? Let's start then. I'm aware that Marco has already told you that you are on cleaning duties. I expect you to be doing those 11-3 every day. Everything must be spotless. I will check each room myself and if I'm not happy with it, if it does not meet my standards you will not be eating dinner that day. However for the first two weeks I will be lenient. You don't look like you've done any sort of housework in your life. Bringing me my meals is simple. Marco will cook them and you will bring them to me every morning, afternoon and dinner. You will bring them to this room. Bring them cold or late and you will not get any sleep that night. Now for your special duties. Every Sunday evening you will meet me here at 8.00 pm sharp and you will tell me anything you might remember about Grisha. I'm trying to build a profile on him. It will be easier to locate him that way. And you will perform any task I might ask off you, should I call on you. No complaining about it. Complaining will earn you a night in the dungeon. And finally I want you to perform first aid, if anyone should need it. After all, being a Commander you should, in theory know the most about it. Do you have any questions Eren?" Levi explained, going through every little detail precisely and thoroughly.

"No, Sir. You explained everything rather well. Is that all you need to tell me?" I said, holding my tongue. Everything about this arrangement was wrong but saying anything against it would earn me a beating and I couldn't take any more of those. Not whilst my body was recovering.

"Not quite yet. You formally begin tomorrow but I would like you to go get my lunch for me. It should be ready now, don't be any longer than 10 minutes or I shall make you clean the entire dining hall and ball room twice over." He commanded, turning his attention to the bundle of paperwork on his desk.

"Yes Sir." I exclaimed, giving him a salute and then hurriedly exiting the room. As I walked to the kitchens, my mind pondered on all the things Levi had said. He was big on extreme punishment. I guess that prevented his staff from getting things wrong and kept them in line. This was going to be far more difficult then I imagined. How was I supposed to take orders from him for a year when all I wanted to do was rebel and do the opposite? I haven't had to do others work since Dad left.

I had arrived at the kitchens and they were just as exquisite as Levi's study. Simplistic but still clean, elegant and sophisticated. Decked out with latest cooking equipment. And in the middle of it all was a very out of place, Marco.

"Marco, what's up?" I asked, noticing that he was sat on the floor sobbing into his knees.

"Master Levi will be so angry with me. I've burnt his entire meal and we've run out of ingredients to make what he wanted. I've made him something else but I'm afraid it isn't good enough." He said in between sobs.

"I'm sure it'll be fine Marco. I'll take it up now and explain the mishap. Everything will be fine." I smiled an assuring smile at him and picked up the silver platter that was carefully place on the side. I said goodbye to the upset boy and started my journey back towards the study. Ok, maybe journey was an exaggeration but the corridors were so long it felt like an eternity before you arrived anywhere in this house.

Eventually I arrived back outside Levi's study. I knocked on the door three times and waited for Levi to say it was ok to enter.

"Come in Eren, you've 30 seconds to spare" Levi said blankly, pointing to where he wanted the platter to be set down. I placed it in front of him and watched his facial expression change from please to furious.

"That stupid boy can't get anything right. It's a night in the dungeon for him." Levi hissed, seething.

"Calm down Sir, it was an accident. He hadn't realised that he left it cooking whilst he went to answer the phone, it had burnt by the time he got back and there was nothing left to make another with." I explained trying to calm the furious man down, hoping to save Marco some trouble.

"You think that's an acceptable excuse?" He asked pointedly

"Yes, Sir, I do. Do you have a problem with that?" I asked back, challengingly

"Don't talk back to me, Brat" He shouted, striking me across the cheek. "Get out of my sight, I'll deal with both of you idiots later" He said rubbing the bridge if his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Suddenly the door open and Marco burst in, panting.

"I'm sorry for barging in Sir, but Maria are attacking the capital. Your skills are needed to help defend"


	6. Chapter 6

"M

aria are attacking the capital?" Levi repeated his face paling in shock. "When did this happen?" He urged, springing on to his feet.

"Half an hour ago Erwin received word that they were attacking and he alerted me just a moment ago to summon you. It turns out Maria are a far more skilled faction than they anticipated and will need your help if they hope to succeed." Marco explained hesitantly. Carefully wording what he said in an attempt to not anger the Captain.

"Why was I not alerted sooner? Lives could have been spared. Damn you Erwin!" Levi shouted, smashing his fist down on his desk in a furious rage. "Do you know why they are doing this, Marco?" He questioned, peering up from underneath the hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"Erwin said they believe Eren to be dead and want to take their revenge and thought the best way to do this would be upholding her aspirations in life." Marco answered sheepishly, giving an apologetic look to me. Why was he spilling all of my faction's secrets? And what an earth are my faction doing? Armin why have you ordered an attack on the capital? Is your grief blinding you? How many of our soldiers have you sent of to be slaughtered because of me, Armin? Armin what have you done, you're supposed to be the smart one. Why can you not tell that I'm still alive?

"Please ready my horse for me Marco. Eren you're coming with me-

"You can't ask me to fight against my own faction Sir! That's just cruel" I cried, my mind to enveloped in my thoughts to resist him. It was all a façade.

"Don't be stupid Eren! I'm not making you fight. You're not a solider anymore. Or have you forgotten that? No, I'm going to capture the Captain of your squad and have a discussion with them. Having you there will make it easier to convince. I'm aware I need to fight so I don't get accused of treason again. I'm sorry for the deaths of your comrades, Eren" Levi explained, turning to look at me when he said the last bit.

"Don't. Don't pretend you care Levi. It's not even your fault. It's Armin, he's being too brash. I don't understand how he thought this would be the best solution to our problem." I sighed, my hand cradling my forehead in exasperation. "This is my entire fault. If I'd of been quicker, fought harder –

"Stop, Eren. If you'd done that you'd be dead right now and this would still be happening. The effects even more devastating." He interrupted. He was now stood directly in front of me and was cupping my cheek he had hit earlier in a futile attempt to console me and my worries.

"There's always a chance that wouldn't happen" I spoke passionately, bringing my eyes up to face him in determination.

"There's no point thinking about what ifs Eren. We're wasting more time and people are dying as a consequence. Let's leave now" He said, dropping his hand from my face and entwining his hand with my own. What is he doing? A scarlet blush invaded my cheeks, colouring them with my embarrassment. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realise that Levi had pulled me all the way to his horse and had disappeared. He'd probably gone to get his equipment from the armoury or something. Marco and a dark ebony horse emerged from around the corner of the large manor walls. The horses charcoal hair was blowing majestically behind it as it walked proudly beside Marco, its muscles rippling with every movement. And not far behind them was Levi, his 3D Manoeuvring gear was slung around his waist and on his shoulders hung a emerald green cape with his faction logo depicted on the back. The cape rippled in the wind, flowing behind the short man warning others around him of the deadly soldier that stood before them. My mouth dropped in awe, this was the soldier I admired, the soldier I wanted to aim to be. I just hadn't seen it until now.

"Yeager, stop standing around looking gormless and put this on" He yelled, throwing a beige jacket at me. It was my uniform, my uniform with the lock picks. Hastily I shrugged on the jacket, afraid that it would be taken away again. As much as it was only a jacket, it was the only connection to my life I had; everything else had been taken away from me.

"Eren! For Christ sake, stop day dreaming. We have an important mission to carry out. This is the difference between a massacre and a few deaths. Hurry up and get on Shadow please." Levi scolded, giving me a disappointed look.

"I'm sorry Sir" I apologised, bowing to him before turning my attention to the horse. How was I going to do this? Shadow much a much taller horse than Zeke and bigger. I wouldn't be able to mount her without making a fool of myself. Inserting one leg into the dark leather stirrup, I threw my leg over the horse. Using all my strength I pulled my body up so I was straddling the horse. Silently, sighing in relief, I moved backwards in the saddle to allow room for Levi. Levi mounted shadow swiftly with great ease making my attempt look pathetic.

"Hang on, we'll be travelling fast" Levi smirked at me. I wound my arms around his waist and gripped my wrist so I was securely sat behind him. Once I was safe, Levi urged shadow to begin and soon we were cutting through valley like a knife through cheesecake.

Dark, fiery smoke was the first thing I saw as we approached the city. Rubble was thrown haphazardly around the road, lying abandon everywhere. Dead bodies were strewn about the place as if they were daisies on a field, blood spattered everywhere. My stomach grew heavy at the sight, these were my comrades, Levi's comrades, and they had all died because of me.

"Where are we heading?" I whispered into Levi's ear, careful not to drawn attention to our location.

"We need to head to the main street, this is where Erwin want's reinforcements to meet and group up. However this is also where I'll be leaving you as it is the safest place in the city right now." Levi explained under his breath. Great, he was leaving me to be looked after as if I was a child.

The further we rode into the heart of the city, the more gruesome the scenery got. Soldiers were locked in furious fights to the death, the clinking of metal piercing the otherwise silent area. Cries of pain and torment floated through the air like charming bird song. Blood painted the walls, the floors, the trees. There wasn't an inch of ground without a spec of the crimson liquid infecting it. More bodies piled up, faces of people I once commanded were blank as we passed them; the life cruelly sucked out of them. Soon we rounded the last corner and arrived in the city centre, but what we found there was the most horrifying part of it all. A swamp of soldiers were scattered everywhere, on the rooves, in the fountain and all over the pavement. How many had died? How many will die? What did there life accomplish? Nothing, absolutely nothing, and knowing this killed me.

Erwin was crouched over a soldier, at first I thought he was checking to see if the guy was still alive but as Erwin got up slowly, I saw drips of cherry red blood dripped from him, splashing onto the already stained pavement. A deep gashed had formed in the soldier's throat and red was oozing out, contaminating everything it touched. A grim looked was set on Erwin's face, He clearly regretted what he was doing but was not doing anything to deter the fighting. I know the Scouts have special weapons that knock the target out instead of killing them. Why weren't they using them? Were they enjoying this? They were killing their main opposition after all. Levi dismounted his horse and rapidly marched over to where Erwin stood. They engaged in conversation but I was too far away to hear what they were saying, how typical it was off them, to keep me out of important discussions. I need to find Armin, get him to stop this madness. How many more of our comrades have to die before he comes to his senses? What if he's already been killed? Or worse, captured by those monsters.

A soldier became visible as he ran from the opposite side of the centre to where Levi and Erwin were stood. The soldier's facial expression was one of distress and his movements were clumsy suggesting he was scared about something. What was his problem?

"Sir! Sir! We have a problem, Sir!" He screamed across to them. Both Levi and Erwin's head snapped to look at the running soldier.

"What's wrong cadet" Erwin boomed back at the frightened boy.

"Maria reinforcement approaching from the we-" The boy was cut off suddenly. Blood gushed from his mouth and his eyes widened, stunned. He sank to his knees and a red stain appeared on his crisp white shirt, growing bigger as each second past. The boy collapsed on His front and a silver arrow revealed itself, protruding from his back.

Mikasa, it had to be. Mikasa was here.


	7. Chapter 7

Mikasa was here, she had led them straight to the heart of the enemy. Had I not taught them better than this? A loud explosion erupted, slicing through the deathly silence like a deadly, efficient assassin. Clouds of smoke encased the town centre, smothering it with its suffocating tendrils. The explosion had knocked me to the unforgiving concrete. Countless rocks cut and sliced at my skin, embedding themselves as if they were parasites. My head smacked against the floor as I fell sending shockwaves of white hot pain rippling through my body, invading everything, demanding every part of my conscious. Fighting through the pain, I opened my eyes to the carnage that was happening around me. Through my blurred vision, I could make out soldier emerging through the dissipating fog. My soldiers, my friends, all who were risking their own lives on the mere theory that I hadn't be murdered by the ruthless faction keeping me hostage. And here there were; being led to their death like lambs to the slaughter. How had this gotten the approval of Armin or Mikasa? Nothing was to be gained from this blood bath.

"Erwin you should get Eren out of here whilst you still can. Or better yet, let her stay here. Let her witness what going against Sina will bring to everyone she loves. We could make her fight as one of our soldiers!" Levi suggested, letting out a crazed laughed as he played with the handles of his swords.

"Levi, that is cruel and you know it. I'm taking Eren to our headquarters to keep her safe and in our possession. Your mission is to neutralise the attackers and then bring the leaders, preferably still alive, back to us in the headquarters. Is that clear?" Erwin commanded, grabbing my wrist and gently pulling me up and on to my feet.

"Yes Sir!" Levi replied, saluting his superior before sprinting off to his squad to relay Erwin's commands.

"Now Eren, We're not actually going anywhere. Disguise yourself in this and go hide our carriage" Erwin said, turning to face me. A look of dread was apparent on his face making an unpleasant feeling of dread settle in the pit of my stomach. What was happening?

"Sir, what is happening?" I questioned in a confused daze.

"I can't exactly explain right now. I need to get you out of harm's way. I will tell you everything you need to know later. I'm sorry it has to be this way. Now go hide please." Erwin sighed, frustrated. He turned his back to me and began withdrawing his swords from their sheath that hung both sides of his waste limply.

"But Sir –

"No Eren. Just go." Erwin said bluntly, interrupting my protest.

"I'm sorry Sir. I shall go now" I replied hurriedly, turning towards the vehicle parked in the distance.

"Eren, remember this. We're on your side" Erwin declared before charging off in the direction of the battle. What was going on? They were on my side? That's rich, considering they're holding me hostage. A scowled set on my face as I marched to the carriage. Why didn't anyone ever tell me anything? I'm not a child, I'm won't break; I'm not that fragile. White hot rage boiled up inside of me, who were they to keep things from me! I practically ripped open the carriage door and slammed in behind me. If I couldn't join my comrades in this battle, I would at least witness their struggles. I no longer had the right to call myself their leader. I'm sorry Armin, Mikasa…. A stray tear rolled down my cheek, but I quickly whipped it away and hardened my emotions. A good leader was rational, and displaying emotion would display vulnerability and is irrational.

My eyes focused on the battle that was occurring outside, just out of my reach. Countless soldiers were engaged in hand to hand combat. Blades were slashing through flesh effortlessly, staining the merciless steel ruby red. Blood dripping from each blade as the owner abandoned its target, leaving the loser to bleed out from their wounds, forever tainting the earth beneath them as well as their killer's mind. Explosion after explosion vibrated the ground wiping out squads instantly, spattering their blood everywhere. Numerous bodies were scattered throughout the battlefield, the life draining from their bodies as their life was ripped away by their enemy. Where was Mikasa? I had not seen her yet but I was sure she was here. There were to many dead Sina soldiers for her not to be here.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a body hurtling in my direction. The person landed harshly, scraping across the floor as they came to a stop. Why were they this end of the centre? I was sure Erwin was containing the battle the opposite side. The person slowly dragged themselves to stand on their feet, their back was slightly hunched over and crimson liquid was falling to the ground. Suddenly another person appeared, knocking the injured person to the ground. The attacker looked familiar; the fighting style they used was the same as Captain Levi's. The attackers head snapped over in my direction as if they had felt my eyes piercing daggers into their back. My eyes widened as their face came into view. It was Captain Levi. I ducked out of sight, back into the safe confines of the carriage. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't come over to investigate. I felt the door be pulled open and I was hit with a gust of cold air. I felt his hand grasp my wrist and he yanked me out of my hiding place.

"Eren? What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in headquarters" Levi snarled, jumping to the conclusion that I had escaped and was betraying them.

"Commander Erwin told me to hide in the carriage during the duration of the battle" I explained hastily, saluting him clumsily. I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the beating that would surely follow.

"Did he explain why?" Levi asked, raising his eyebrow, clearly disbelieving what I had just said.

"No, Sir!" I responded, fearfully,

He let out an amused snort at my response. "Sounds like Erwin; you might come in handy then. I'm trying to get your friend here to come and have a meeting with the Scouts but she's fighting back. I don't want to have to hurt her but she's not making this any easier. Think you can help?" Levi requested, the emotionless tone had returned to his voice and he had turned his attention the person who was playing dead on the floor in front of us.

"This is Mikasa, is it not?" Levi queried, looking expectantly at me.

"This is Mikasa?" I exclaimed. I strode over to the girl lying on the floor. Drawing back my leg, I struck her with all my might, aiming for her gut.

"What an earth were you thinking Mikasa? How many people died because of your need for vengeance? Why did you think I would want this?" I screamed at her, tears leaking from my eyes. I was so angry at her all rationality had flown away from me. Suddenly I felt myself falling to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time today and a cool, sharp object was held threateningly at my neck.

"Eren?" Mikasa whispered, recognition flashing across her face. She dropped her blade and yanked my body into a tight, overbearing hug.

"I'm so glad you're alive! We all thought you were dead. I can't lose you again Eren!" She sobbed into my shoulder. I could feel my shirt began to dampen as she clutched at me as if I was her oxygen supply. She drew back and looked at my face, realisation had dawned on her. "Oh God, what have I done Eren? I've gotten so many of our friends killed! What am I supposed to tell them?"

"You could just tell them the truth. That you jumped to the conclusion that Eren was dead and sent them on a suicide mission" Levi piped up. Mikasa's head snapped to face him; she was glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster,

"I'm sorry Eren, I have some scum to take care of before we can go home" She hissed, slowly standing up.

"Mikasa! No, there's been enough death as it is." I cried, blocking her way of attacking him. Erwin's previous words flashed through my mind. 'We're on your side Eren'.

"Eren, Move!" She scowled at me, attempting to push me out of the way.

"No, Mikasa, you listen to me. As your commander I'm ordering you to stand down and listen to me." I shouted at her, my eyes were narrowed in anger. Her eyes flickered away from mine and she dropped her blades to the floor, loud clanging of metal ripped through the awkward silence before being engulfed once again by the silence. "Mikasa, Commander Erwin of the Scout regiment has told me we are fighting for the same goal. That they are on our side. As Levi is his subordinate, he is also on our side. I believe he has something he wanted to ask you before you hastily and without reason attacked him. Please remember our goals" I explained, keeping a calm, expressionless tone in my voice.

"I'm sorry Commander. What is it that you wanted?" She asked, turning her attention to Levi.

"Commander Erwin requests an audience with you after you call off this rebellion" Levi clarified the same bored tone he always had.

"Why should I do that? What does he want?" Mikasa questioned, confusion etched into every word she spoke.

"He requests and alliance between Maria and the Scouts"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"An Alliance? That's it?" Mikasa shrieked in shock. This was mirrored in my own emotions; it felt as if someone had winded me. The colour had drained out of my face and my legs had begun to tremble. Not because I was frightened. No, that was far from the reason. I was nervous, the anticipation was killing me. What were the Scouts playing at? What was their goal? Their motive?

"Yes, I can understand your surprise. We do not want to risk ruining the chance to form this alliance with you; it is vital to what we hope to achieve. Commander Erwin wishes to explain everything to you in secret. That is why I've been ordered to take you to the Scouts private headquarters" Levi said, his tone even more serious than usual.

"If it means peace between factions, I see no problems with it. It's not for me to decide though. Captain Levi, you should have just asked Eren. She's our commander, we'll follow every instruction she gives until we die" Mikasa replied passionately.

"I don't expect you to risk your lives for me, that's insane" I exclaimed. I wish Mikasa would snap out of this mentality, I expected their loyalty. However I don't expect them to get their selves killed for a mission. If they don't agree with the tactics, they don't have to fight. They know that.

"Shut up Eren. Argue after I've got my answer" Levi snapped, glaring at me.

"I'm sorry commander" Mikasa apologised, unable to look me in the face. "I shall accept your proposal to speak to Erwin. However I will only accept the alliance after I know more about it and your goals." She said coldly, the emotionless, professional persona she carried herself with had returned infecting the area around us. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"That's understandable. Shall we depart?" Levi asked opening the door to the carriage I was previously hiding in. She took the invitation and gracefully climbed into the dark abyss that was the interior. "Brat, get in" Levi commanded, a glare displaying on his face every time he looked at me. What had I done? I clambered clumsily into the carriage and seated myself beside Mikasa. The door slammed behind us and we began moving slowly; like a predator stalking its prey.

Rows of houses flashed by us as our carriage hurtled through the cobbled streets. The further we got from the battle, the scenes of chaos slowly disappointed only to be replaced with the sights of unnaturally calm and peaceful town life. Why were the citizens of the capital so machine like? What has Sina done? Town houses grew more spread out before being swallowed by large, sprawling, emerald green fields. The carriage sped along the twisting, dirt roads which curled around the mountains like a sleeping snake and shot into a dark jade forest. Abruptly the carriage came to a stop and the door beside me was flung open.

"Our hideout is underground for obvious reasons. Please follow me and watch where you are stepping. There are dozens of traps scattered around this area." Levi explained, pulling me out of the carriage and slinging me over his shoulder. "However, Eren, I don't trust you not to run off so I'm going to carry you" He smirked and strode over to where I could only assume the entrance to the enemies fortress was. He stopped in front of a large oak tree and place his hand on the centre of the knotted, chestnut bark. There was a loud beeping noise and the ground to the right of us crumbled away to reveal an inconspicuous, camouflaged staircase. What were they hiding to feel the need for this level of security? As we descended the stair case, bright white lights flickered on and illuminated the surrounding areas, only to be snuffed out as soon as we had left the proximity. At the bottom of the staircase was a large recreational room with handfuls of corridors decorating the edges of the room. There was large, black, leather sofas along the east facing wall, two bulky pool tables in the centre of the room and desks with grey office chairs littered about the room. On the wall was sign posts pointing in the direction if each facility and fine art hung randomly upon each wall. The Scout's headquarters made my own look like it was in shambles. Levi led us straight through the centre of the room to the pair of simple, glass double doors which were adjacent to the entrance and knocked twice on the glass. The headquarters were strangely quiet, every soldier must have been sent to the battle. Even the Intel squads that worked in the building weren't there. How odd.

"Please enter swiftly" Erwin called from the other side of the door. Levi quickly pushed the door open and dropped me on the seat in front of Erwin's desk. Mikasa strode in behind him and sat next to me.

"Good Afternoon, Commander" Levi said, saluting Erwin. Erwin acknowledged the gesture before glancing over to us.

"Hello Eren, Mikasa. I hope you are doing well. Please refrain from asking questions until I've finished explaining completely. We're a bit pushed for time as it is." He greeted us with a stern look on his face. Mikasa and I nodded in understanding and remained quiet for the duration of his speech.

"Firstly, I would like to clear up something. The Scout regiment, even though it is officially a part of the Sina faction. We do not side with them and do not agree with what they are doing to this nation. The Scouts have been planning an uprising for some time now but we realised that we did not have the strength nor enough man power to defeat a faction so deeply rooted in the country. For the past five or so years we've been researching ways we can overcome issues that removing Sina would cause. This is where we'd like your factions help. We were hoping you'd join the Scouts in our efforts to remove Sina from power. As your faction is the second biggest in the whole of Hircea it would bring our numbers up to almost even with what they have without the Scouts. We don't have a battle plan, that's where we hoped Armin would help us. I think that's in essence what we are asking from you. Would you form an alliance with the Scout Regiment to help take down Sina?" Erwin explained steadily, not stuttering on a single word. His words fluttered around in my head like a swarm of angry hornets. The Scouts wanted us to help them achieve our own goal? I always thought that they were Sina's lapdog regiment. I was far from right.

"I accept." I agreed without even thinking. Erwin's eyes widened and a broad smile stretched across his face.

"If Eren agrees, the rest of the faction will follow" Mikasa confirmed, nodding in agreement with me.

"Only I have a few questions" I stated hesitantly. How much would they allow us to know? Would we be kept in the dark? Trusting the enemy always comes with precautions.

"Certainly. In all honesty we did not think that you'd accept so quickly Eren" Erwin shrugged with a sheepish smile plastered on his face. At the sight of his superior, Levi let out a loud snort, as if he was laughing at the awkward mess Erwin had become.

"I want to be able to command my own army whilst fighting, if you don't mind. Will we be involved in the decision making? Why did you have to kidnap me? What use did you have for my father? Would one of my own scientists suffice as a temporary replacement? Am I still going to be held hostage? I think that's all I want to know for now" I shot question after question at them, hoping for an honest answer, expecting to receive half-truths as I had before.

"You will have full control over your faction, all we request is that you assist us in battle when needed. We will always plan future attacks with your leading strategist, Captain, First Lieutenant and of course you the commander. We had to kidnap you for our superiors in Sina. We didn't want to but unfortunately it was unavoidable. So yes of course we have to keep you hostage for these reasons. We might be able to use one of your scientists but what your father was researching was of great importance to not only us but the entire country. I'd tell you what that is but it's extremely top secret, not even Levi knows." Erwin answered, surprisingly he didn't leave any half answered.

"Thank you Commander. Is that all? I need to get my wounds seen to and I'm sure you have better things to be doing" Mikasa said indifferently, saluting Erwin as she turned to leave.

"No, thank you Mikasa. You're cooperation this afternoon is greatly appreciated" Erwin replied as she left the room.

"Now Eren, Should we head back to my house? You have duties to fulfil after all." Levi asked, waiting expectantly beside the door. Erwin glared at Levi's impatient actions but gave me a warm smile as I followed Levi out of the door.

"Phase 1 has been completed, Commence Phase 2" Erwin spoke into the intercom. What does that mean? Is there something they're not telling us about.

The battle drew to a close in the late evening, both sides have sustained heavy casualties. Maria's fighting force has been cut by at least one third, or at least that is what I've been told. A small fraction of that third have withstood varying degrees of injuries but the bigger proportion of soldiers tragically lost their life fighting for what they believed in. The city centre took the brunt of the damage caused as Erwin had managed to contain the combat I a small area but throughout the city death and destruction lingered like a bad smell. Infecting everything with its devastating tendrils of ruin. Sina's troops were impacted but not as significantly as Maria's. But that was to be expected as they are a better trained fighting force than Maria. The effects of this battle will take months of preparation to even be able to consider attacking Sina again. Are we stupid for thinking we can defeat a super power? Is the price of freedom just to high?

 **Authors Note**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed/responed to my update. You're nice, constructive comments have given me inspiration and I will gladly keep posting updates as long as I know some people are still enjoying my work. This chapter might not be as good as others as it is just setting things up for future chapters... Nether the less I still hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Rate and Review!**

 **\- Rosie!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The moonlight's silver beams caressed the oak floor as they ghosted through the crack in the heavy, velvet, black curtains. The moonlight cast silvery shadows over everything that was in Levi's dimly lit bedchambers. The oil lamps burned away, the flames flickering as the danced the night away. It was gone midnight by the time we arrived safely back at Levi's mansion, my head felt heavy with exhaustion and all I wanted to do was retire to my bed but I couldn't do that. No, I had to fulfil my duties. That was how Levi had put it, I didn't know why it couldn't wait until later on today but he had to be treated instantly. So here I was, sat timidly on Levi's bed rummaging through his personal first aid kit whilst he cleaned himself of. The door to his ensuite flew open and out emerged Levi, dressed in his sleeping clothes and his dark, ebony hair was damp and tousled. The first three buttons on his shirt was undone, revealing small amounts of a toned muscular chest. At this, I felt my cheeks grow crimson and I looked away. What was wrong with me?

"Where do you want me?" Levi asked, a bored expression in his tone. What was with him? He wanted me to treat him straight away but he acts like he doesn't want to be anywhere near me. What was wrong with this guy?

"Would you be able to sit opposite me so I can examine your injuries and decide what I need to treat," I said as professionally as I could, stuttering on a few words as my embarrassment took a hold of me. Why was I acting this way? This wasn't the first time I'd treated a male soldier, stop making such a big deal out of this. I felt the bed sink down next to me and soon enough Levi was sat crossed legged in front of me.

"Is there any areas of significant pain?" I questioned, trying to pinpoint areas which needed treating.

"If that's your way of asking me if I've sprained or broken anything, no. It's only a few cuts and bruises on my arms, and face that need treating." He said. "Do you need me to remove my shirt?" a wide smirk appeared on his face, oh no, he'd noticed me staring early. I felt the tips of my ears hotting up and I quickly glanced away to gain my composure.

"Do you have wounds on your chest or upper arms that need attending to?" I said raising my eyebrow at him, trying to look disapproving but failing miserably.

"There's a deep gash across my chest and a couple nicks on my upper arm but that's about it." He answered, his face resuming his almost constant expressionless state.

"Then yes. Would you please remove your shirt so I can treat them" I said trying to sound as uncaring as possible. His smirk appeared again momentarily before disappearing as he pulled off his shirt. Countless scars littered his pale, milky white skin and a large, red gash sliced through the centre of his chest. How could he still function normally with a wound of this size? I grabbed the alcohol wipes and carefully dabbed at the wound, cleaning out any dirt still left in the wound. I heard him take in a deep breath, it must sting badly.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you too much. This shouldn't need stiches, its large but quite shallow." I said softly, compassion laced into every word I said.

"I've had worse" He grimaced as I continued to clean and disinfect his wound. Riffling through the first aid kit, I searched for a bandage I could use for his chest. Unpacking it, I rose to my knees. What would be the best way to do this? I unravelled the bandage and wound it round his body, securing it after I had finished with a safety pin. I grabbed my alcohol wipes and began to disinfect the grazes he had strewn across his face. I could feel his cool breath wafting against my face. I looked down at him, he was staring at me. I wonder what he's thinking. Cool, steel blue eyes locked with my own emerald green ones for what seemed like an eternity, only breaking eye contact when his eyes flickered down to my lips. His mouth moved closer to my own and I was captured in a sweet kiss. His arms wound themselves around my waist in a tight grip, as if he was desperate to keep me in place. My own fingers did the same as they wound themselves into his hair. After what seemed like a forever, he pulled back and rested his forehead against my own. My hands dropped to his shoulders and his grip slackened. The room was deathly silent aside from our rushed breathing.

"I think it would be best if you left now" He murmured, in between breaths.

"I think so to." I smiled, unwinding myself from his hold. I packed away the first aid kit and placed it back on its shelf. "Good night Levi" I said as I left. Once I was back in my own room, I sank down on the bed in realisation of what had just happened. He was going to be so angry with me in the morning, I thought as my hand ghosted over my lip. What did this mean? Why does my life have to be so confusing? Tears leaked down my face as I drifted into a restless sleep.

The following morning was seemingly uneventful as I went through my daily routine. I had already cleaned the bedrooms and the larger rooms downstairs and I was now waiting for Marco to finish cooking Levi's food so I could take it to him. I hadn't seen him all day as he had been in a meeting with Commander Erwin since I had been awake.

"Eren?" I heard Marco call out from the kitchen. I swung my legs of off the stool I was perched on and went to collect the food. He had prepared two roast dinners as it was Sunday.

"Thank you Marco" I smiled at the freckled boy as I picked up the tray and began my journey from the kitchen to Captain Levi's study. I paused before I knocked, I could hear faint whispers of their conversation. I set the tray down on the side board and listened into to what I could hear.

"We could sacrifice…. Definitely the Maria squad….. No, I don't think that would be the best route…. Sina are always going to be the most powerful"

"Best fighters…. They're going to be destroyed" Were they planning on sacrificing my soldiers for their own cause. It sounded as if they were still on Sina's side as were going to betray us. I can't let that happen. I picked up the tray and knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in, Eren" Levi called out. I swung the heavy, oak door open and strode in. I set the food down in front of both the traitorous men and turned to leave. A hand grabbed at my wrist and pulled be back towards them.  
"Would you like to join us?" Levi asked, hope apparent in his voice. I harshly pulled my wrist away from him and a cold look stuck on my face.

"No sir, I have my duties to attend to" I said, turning on my heels and loudly closing the door behind me. Where had he put my jacket? I guess it could be in his room somewhere. I chucked the tray on his bed and swung open the doors to his closet, and there it was. Hanging right at the end of his clothes was my beige, Maria Uniform. Hastily I pulled it on and stuck my hands in the pocket, luckily both picks were still there. Quickly, I sprinted to the backdoor and scrambled to unlock the door. I needed to get away from here, need to warn my faction of the betrayal. I would need to head to the temporary base we have in this forest and get my equipment before I set off for main base. Suddenly the door flew open and loudly banged against the wall. I hope they hadn't heard it or I'd be dead meat. I ran across the courtyard to where the stables were. I scanned the stables for a usable horse only to find Zeke excitedly whinnying in a stall. Levi had kept Zeke for me, how sweet, I thought bitterly. I grabbed a saddle and reigns and prepared Zeke for travel. Once he was ready, I gracefully mounted him with ease and cantered off along the dirt path and into the heart of the forest,

"Eren!" I heard a voice scream behind me, but I didn't care, I'd had my first taste of freedom and I wasn't going back.

I'm coming home, Mikasa.


	10. Chapter 10

The wind whipped through my hair as Zeke and I galloped through the evergreen forest. Tears leaked down my face at the thought of their betrayal. Memories of last night's kiss flashed before my eyes. Don't think about it Eren, it didn't mean anything, he doesn't love you. Who would? Your mother is dead, your father left you, most of your friends died trying to save you. All you have is Mikasa and Armin, and they don't even truly care. Shut up Eren! Don't go down that road again. I wiped away the tears and focused my mind on the task at hand. How was I going to stay out of Sina's grip, long enough to expose them and retrieve the people's freedom?

 **~Levi~**

"I'll be heading back to the base now Levi. I'll give you a call if I need anything. Take care" Erwin said, standing back and slinging his coat onto his shoulders.

"Yeah, I hope everything goes well with tomorrow with Maria. Have safe journey Sir." I said smiling, saluting the commander as he left the house. I slowly closed the door waiting for the soft click that would leave me alone with my own thoughts. Sighing heavily, I strode back to my study. I was surprised to find the lunch plates still lying carelessly on my small dining table. That's strange, Eren should have cleared these up by now. Did Marco know where she was? Worriedly I pressed the call for service button that was situated to the left of my desk, I sank down on the cushioned chair as I waited for Marco to appear. Soon enough a loud knocked rang through the silence, cutting through it as if it was nothing.

"Come in!" I shouted, urgency leaking into my voice. The door swung open and a timid Marco appeared.

"What can I help you with Sir?" Marco asked hesitantly.

"Have you seen Eren? She's not been fulfilling her duties. Don't worry I'm not going to hurt her, I'm just concerned about where she is" I questioned, trying to keep my usual demeanour of blankness but my worry kept slipping through the cracks in my mask.

"I haven't seen her since I gave her your lunch. I'm sorry Sir. I heard the horses earlier, it was like someone had disturbed them. Do you think she's escaped sir?" Marco answered honestly, a frown plastered across his face.

"The horses? I think she might have escaped. Marco ready my horse, I'm going to go and look for her" I ordered charging out of the room. She should have taken her jacket, I left those lock picks in the pockets for this very reason. She must think I'm stupid, giving her back her jacket with army grade lock pick. A small smirk crossed my face as I peered into my cupboard, scanning my clothes to try and find the familiar beige jacket. With no luck, I grabbed my own green cloak and sprinted to the courtyard where Marco was waiting with my horse, Storm. She was a thoroughbred with a sweeping, luscious, ebony mane. Her coat was a shiny, sleek charcoal one with a large white stripe running down the centre of her back. Rich chestnut eyes peered at me from under her mane as I stroked her face before mounting her.

"Thank you for your help Marco." I said gratefully, nudging Storm to start moving.

"No problem Sir, please bring her back safely" He said bleakly and turned back to the house.

"I'll try to" I muttered under my breath. Why had Eren run away? I thought things were going well, that she was getting used to her living accommodations. I shook my head and urged Storm into a canter. If I were escaping I would head to a nearby place of sanctity, I know there is a couple of Maria bases in this vicinity. The main one, the one in the forest and the one by the lake. She wouldn't have gone to the main one, that would be too risky and the one by the lake is too far away to get to in a day. She must of gone to the forest. Storm and I dashed through the forest as fast as she could go, I needed to find her before nightfall and more importantly before Sina found out about my incompetence. Pine after Pine flashed into my field of vison and disappeared as the appeared. Soon I was in the heart of the forest, surely I was near their base now? I slowed down Storm so she stopped, I scanned my surroundings, checking for any sign of recent activity. Sure enough, to the left of me were fresh horse tracks, Eren must of come through here. Sighing, I pushed Storm to start walking again, this time moving slowly so I could follow the hoof prints.

After an hour of walking around, following the tracks, I came across a large wooden cabin with the Maria logo hung on the door. This was the place. Dismounting quietly, I tied the reigns around a nearby tree and slowly crept towards the door. Standing on my tiptoes, I peered in through the window on the door. I could definitely make out a person, but was this Eren? I gently pushed open the door and snuck into the cabin. The person was sound asleep on the bed which was postined against the opposite wall. I marched up to the sleeping person and using the tips of my fingers I lightly brushed the chocolate locks out of their face. Slowly Eren's face was revealed and my chest sank in relief. Thank God you're ok, stupid little brat. Eren's eyes flickered open and a half smile stretched across her face. Her eyes widened when she relised who she was looking at, she sprang back so her back was against the wall.

"Levi? What are you doing here?" Eren asked, the colour draining from her face.

"Don't you think I should be asking that question?" I chuckled, sitting myself on the edge of the bed.

"No. Why did you follow me?" She repeated, her voice hardening, squeezing any emotion out of her words.

"Eren what's wrong? I don't understand why you're being this way" I replied, my face furrowed in confusion. Her attitude had performed a complete 180 and I wanted to know what had changed for her.

"What's wrong? Do you think I'm a fool Levi?" She shrieked, throwing a pillow at me. I moved to the side and the pillow flew past me and slide across the ground.

"Of course not! I don't understand what's brought this on! You were fine last night and then you started acting weird this morning! Tell me what is wrong." I exclaimed angrily, I could feel myself grow more agitated with her as the conversation progressed.

"You! It's you! It's always you!" She cried and broke down sobbing. I reached out and pulled her into a comforting hug. She tried to resist but gave up a curled herself into my chest.

"What have I done now?" I asked, running my fingers through her hair as soothingly as I could. No reply, giving her time to compose herself would be better than bombarding her with questions. Minutes passed and we just sat there, entwined in eachother's embrace. Her cries died down and were replaced with light snores. I guess it would be best to have this conversation in the morning when our minds had rationalized more. I tried to unpick myself from her grasp but she clung to me like a monkey would cling to it's mother.

"Levi, please don't leave me!" She whispeard quietly. Would it make her more angry with me in the morning if I stayed here? Does it matter? Her comfort now is my main priorty.

"Whatever you want, brat but I'm going to need to take of my shoes and coat." I laughed lightly.

"Promise you'll come back" she muttered in a sleepy haze.

"I promise" I agreed, and she released me from her death grip. I slowly pulled off my boots and chucked them haphazardly onto the floor, careful not to damage anything. I pulled off my jacket and folded it neatly, placing it on the bedside table. Unbuttoning my shirt, I folded it and place it on top of my jacket. I turned around to find Eren staring at me, her cheeks were a bright crimson and her mouth was hanging open slightly. My eyes met hers and she quickly looked away as if to tell me that she hadn't been looking. I let out a laugh and joined her on the bed. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug, I couldn't wait until the rebellion was over. She'd make a great wife. She relaxed in my embrace and the silence was again filled with light snores. I could feel myself drift of as the heat lulled at my tired mind, coaxing me into the land of the dead.

The peaceful silence was soon shattered by a couple of words. "Levi, why did you betray us?"


	11. Chapter 11

The sun broke through the window, illuminating the room in it's peaceful, gentle caress. There was a crisp chill in the air which prickled at my skin. My eyes fluttered open, enjoying the fresh morning atmosphere. A warm, hard object was pressing into my back, setting off alarm bells in my mind. What was there? I rolled over to find a sleeping Levi sprawled out, half naked. Why was he here? My limbs froze in place as I noticed a heavy weight pressing down on my abdomen. Levi had his arm encircled around my waist. Great, now I couldn't escape without waking him up. Up close, Levi's face was peaceful and innocent whilst he was asleep, a complete contrast to the man's actual personality. As if he could feel my scrutinous glance, his eyes lazily opened to reveal sleepy, cool blue eyes. A small smile spread across his face as he noticed me and his grip tightened.

"Morning" He murmured, his voice deeper and raspier than usual. He released me from his grip and sat up, yawning. A serious expression settled on his face and he draped his shirt over his shoulders, only buttoning the bottom four buttons. He ruffled his hand through his messy ebony hair and turned to face me.

"Morning, Captain Levi" I replied hesitantly, trying my hardest to avoid eye contact with him.

"I understand you have an issue with me? What has got you so worked up? As I said yesterday, I thought things were starting to get better. What has changed?" He asked, his eyes were boring into mine as if he looking into my very soul.

"You wouldn't understand!" I replied back sharply, trying to avoid the subject. I didn't want him to know my plan, which I would undoubtedly reveal if I told him anything. However traitorous thoughts flicked through my mind; what if he hadn't betrayed Maria? What if I had misheard them? I shook my head, trying to discourage the thoughts but it was too late, the seeds of doubt had already been planted and were burrowing themselves deeply into my mind.

"I can try to though." He said solemnly. I wanted to tell him, to yell at him for being so stupid to side with the enemy but I couldn't bring myself to form any words; I was truly speechless. He frowned at my lack of response, a glare setting on his cold face. "I heard you last night you know, your someone that sleep talks when you're troubled aren't you?" He spoke softly, his face becoming calmer.

"What did I say?" I exclaimed, mortified. What had I let slip? I hope it was nothing of importance. God dammit Eren! Why do you always have to mess everything up!

"I don't really understand what you said. But it seemed to be the essence of your problem. 'Levi why did you betray us' was your exact words, I think" Levi explained, unsure of the truth behind his words.

"Well, crap. I didn't mean to say that. It doesn't mean anything! Are you sure you didn't imagine that? It doesn't sound like something I'd say, if I'm honest" I bluffed, trying to throw him off. I didn't want him knowing any more than he did.

"Eren, I have no idea what you're trying to cover up, but why would I lie about that? It doesn't benefit me in the slightest. Why don't you just tell me? You can trust me" He said clearly confused but I still made no attempts to clarify my strange behaviour. I could trust him? Was he being serious? With what he was planning, I knew that I could never trust a Sina soldier ever again! But what if I misheard him? The doubt crept into my thoughts again, poisoning everything it touched.

"Eren please. Maybe I can help?" He pleaded, a heartfelt expression held in his eyes. His eyes widened as if he had realised something and then his face became one of pity. "Oh Eren. You didn't over hear the commander and I talking yesterday did you? I have no idea what you heard but you must of heard a bit out of context" He chuckled.

"What do you mean I heard it out of context? From what I heard it sounded like you were planning to betray us!" I shouted angrily. I clapped my hands over my mouth when I realised what I had just revealed.

"So, that was it then. Interesting, I wonder what bit you heard. Care to elaborate?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Why should I tell you anything? It'll probably be used against me!" I scoffed.

"Why shouldn't you? Don't you want to know what we were actually talking about?" He questioned, his eyes widened slightly in shock. I did want to know what they were talking about, but how did I know that everything he will say won't be more lies?  
"I bet you're thinking 'how do I know if I can trust what he says' right now. That's very predictable and cliché, I have to say. But you have my word, that I will not lie, scout's honour and everything." He said, attempting to mimic my voice.

"Ok then, I heard something along the lines of sacrificing the Maria squad to enable Sina to carryon being the most powerful faction. Now explain to me how that's not betraying us!" I described what I heard yesterday, but my memory was foggy so I couldn't remember the specifics of what was said.

"Now I can definitely say that's not what we were talking about!" He said laughing. "What were actually talking about was sacrificing a couple of months of preparation and training in order to have the element of surprise when we begin our attack. We thought the Maria squad would be the best for leading the attack as the Sina soldiers don't know any of your faces or how you fight. Therefore we'd have the tactical advantaged if we trained you the way Sina fights. And then we discussed what would be the best route to approach the battlefield from while still retaining the element of surprise. We still haven't figured that one out, we'd like Armin's help with that task, and I think he'd be able to come up with the best solution. And we were discussing how Sina were always going to be the most powerful in the battlefield if we didn't take the right approach with the rebellion. So as you can tell we didn't talk about betraying Maria at all Eren. And besides if we were going to do that, we'd at least have the discussion at the Sina headquarters where the commander of the opposing faction can't eavesdrop on us." He explained calmly, adding a little laugh at the end of his explanation.

"Oh…" I said meekly, turning as red as a tomatoes. I had been wrong, oh so wrong and now I felt stupid. "I'm sorry Levi, I jumped to a conclusion and caused you all this hassle when I should of just asked you" I apologised, looking down at the floor shamefully.

"Well that is true but that's in the past now. Plus if you hadn't of escaped I'd never of slept with you" He joked, giving me a cheeky smirk.

"Pervert!" I laughed, throwing the remaining pillow at him, this time I hit him square in the face. I let out a triumphant shriek as the pillow made contact with his face. A secretive grin stretched across his face as he grabbed the pillow and strode towards me. I nervously gulped, what was he going to do? I gasped as I felt the pillow impact with my face multiple times before it was dropped beside me and forgotten about.

"Levi?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" He replied happily.

"I never got to thank you properly." I stated, staring him directly in the eyes.

"For what?" He asked, his face furrowing into a confused expression.

"Thank you for saving me all those years ago. I thought I was going to die then but you saved me from those three thugs and I'll never be able to repay you. You inspired me to create my own faction to rid the country of those scum, thank you. But there's just one thing I don't understand" I paused. I hoped my words sounded sincere, I wanted him to know what and inspiration he was to me.

"What don't you understand? Oh and you're welcome, I guess. I couldn't exactly leave you there to be attacked could I? What sort of person would that make me?" He laughed nervously.

"Why did you join Sina? Why did you become this person? You're cold, expressionless most of the time. It's almost like you're not human. Why is that? What happened to the kind, heroic man that saved me after everyone else had left?" I inquired, letting my most inner thoughts pour out. Silence. He stared at me, his eyes growing darker and bitterness filled his face. "It's fine you don't have to answer. I was just curious. Sorry if I crossed a line that I shouldn't off" I said quickly trying to recover the situation.

"No, it's fine. I guess I can tell you. I mean it's not like you have anyone to tell. But in case you decide to spread this, don't tell anyone or I'll slit your throat in your sleep. I don't want anyone pitying me." He threatened but I could tell they were empty threats. The last wall between me and Captain Levi was about to come crumbling down around us.

"It all started when I was eighteen…."


	12. Chapter 12

"It all started when I was eighteen, my mother had fallen ill and I couldn't afford to pay for her treatment. I had resorted to stealing from anywhere which I could get money or food, I was a good thief, only ever caught once. I had my squad who helped with the robberies. Their names were Summa and Kayden, they were like a second family" He paused as he tried to collect himself, tears escaping his eyes.

"You don't have to continue if it hurts to much" I murmured, pulling the small man into my arms in a comforting hug.

"No, I've started now, there's no point leaving it unfinished. What sort of soldier would I be, if I let my emotions effect a mission?" He said, shrugging me off and wiping the tears away.

"Ok, whatever you want Captain" I smiled.

"After four years of living like this my mother was admitted to the hospital. Her illness had become terminal. I couldn't cope, I turned to the criminal underworld. And eventually in late march she passed away. My father didn't even return from his scouting expedition to attend her funeral. Shortly after my mother's death, I received word that my father had been killed on that very expedition. I was a wreck and it put strains on my relationships with every. I had been engaged to Petra however once she heard about how far I had fallen she dumped me. So now I was single orphan with a drug addiction. I only had Summa and Kayden. I carried on stealing from people to fund my addiction, they disagreed but still stood by me in any way they could. One summer I got caught by Commander Erwin. How unlucky was I to pick the commander of the scouts to steal from? He took all three of us into the custardy of the Scouts. So there we were, a 22 year old, a 21 year old and a 16 year old in jail, what a great life story." He gave out a deranged, twisted laugh. "Erwin offered for us to join the Scouts, if we did he wouldn't report the theft and our records would remain clean. If we didn't we'd spend a maximum of five years in jail. Of course I had to rid myself of my drug addiction first. He sent me to a drug rehabilitation facility and after 6 months in there, I was more or less cured. After I was released, I was straight away absorbed into the new recruits training programme alongside Summa and Kayden. This programme was a further 6 months long and after the training programme was finished we were sent away to our first big scouting mission. I achieved the best score in the training programme, which is how I became leader of my squad. This consisted of Summa, Kayden, Hanjii and Gunther originally. Whilst we were on the expedition, we were attacked by something that looked like a mixture of a grizzly bear and a wolf. It was to mutated for me to make out. Summa wasn't paying attention and her head was bitten straight off, we managed to kill the creature before any more lives were lost. However I lost Kayden on this mission to and I will never forgive the bastard that took him from me. The old captain of the Scouts went crazy at Erwin, demanding to know why he had allowed criminals to join the ranks. Not getting the answer he wanted he turned on us and Kayden sacrificed himself for me. He got practically sliced in half by a sword like my own. Raged was all I could feel at this point and I took my revenge. I didn't think about my actions until the captain was lying in a pool of his own blood." He stopped, staring at his own hands, tears splashing on to the palms of his hands.

"I'm a monster, Eren" He stated, his eyes wide and tears running down his face.

"Levi that's not true and you know that! The captain would have been killed any way!" I said trying to reassure the older man.

"My hands are still stained with his blood, I can never change the fact that I've killed countless amounts of people, and he started it" He sobbed. It was strange seeing Levi so vulnerable, hearing about his life.

"Do you regret avenging your friend? The rest are just your duty as a soldier" I asked solemnly.

"Of course I don't! The savage deserved to die!" He hissed, glaring at me.

"Then you shouldn't feel remorse that you killed him. The man deserved to die. As I said he was bound to face capital punishment and die for his crimes. Why is that any different?" I concluded, trying to make him see sense.

"I can't forgive myself Eren. I'm just not physically capable of doing so. I'm sorry." He admitted remorsefully.

"Don't apologise to me, apologise to yourself. Do you want to continue with the rest of it?" I asked softly.

He gave me a weak smile before continuing "When we got back, Erwin listed the Captain as being killed by one of the beasts we'd seen. It was true, he was killed by a beast. But that beast was me. I was so close to falling off the rails again, I had now lost everyone. Other recruits had stayed as far away from me as possible after news spread of what I had done. But Erwin didn't let me fall, he clung onto me and tried his hardest to keep me sane. I still don't know why he had tried so hard to protect me but I'm grateful for all he's done. I grew cold, emotionless and just lived life by the bare minimum, only finding comfort in books and battle. My determination to complete the task I was given by Erwin to the best of my ability is what gave me my reputation and is why I am now Captain. That is why I became the person I am now, why I joined Sina. I chose neither but it's what I became. I'm sorry for the Eren. I just can't help it. I rescued you before I went on the expedition, I was just getting my life back on track. I was truly happy then. Saving you helped to boost my self-esteem but I also did it because you were cute. Eren, I haven't been able to feel emotions for so long. I'm 24 years old and I'm practically living like an old man. But then you came along, and you made me feel alive again. You've helped me feel again, Eren. I'll admit it was anger and hatred at first but that grew into something else…" He explained, trailing off at the end and turning bright red.

"What are you saying Levi?" I asked, astonished at the sudden turn of events.

"You brat, you're seriously going to make me say it aloud?" He scowled, playfully.

"Yep." I smiled back, giving him a cheeky wink.

"I like you Eren. More than I should." He admitted, looking at the floor. "I'm not the best person for anything. I broke beyond repair but I put my all in to anything. But before I ask. Are you satisfied with the answers?"

"Levi…. How could I not be? I'm so sorry for what you've gone through. I feel like I owe you something in return. There's just one thing, if I'd been not 'cute' then would you not have saved me? Levi, I'm going to try and fix you. You don't deserve this. Thank you Levi" I replied warmly, I was smiling from ear to ear at his confession. I'd hoped that my attraction to him wasn't one sided and it was a relief to know he felt the same.

"You don't owe me anything Eren! It was nice to tell someone other than Erwin and not be looked down upon. I don't know if I would have saved you; possibly I guess." He gave me a nervous smile after he finished talking.

"Well I don't know whether I should be offended or accept that as a compliment, but is there anything you want to know in return Levi?" I joked, causing a smile to appear briefly on the older man's face.

"Take is a complement, that's probably better. And if you insist, why were you in city central the day I saved you. Why were you alone?" He asked.

"Well, when I was 10 my mum was killed by a group of criminals. I had run out of the house after an argument with her. The last words I ever said to her were 'I hate you'. I came back to find our house had been robbed and my mum lying in a pool of her own blood, her body mutilated beyond recognition. We were fostering Mikasa as her parents had died when she was a child so I've always had her. We met Armin at school and we've been like family since. After my mum died, my dad withdrew into his work, growing more distant as time progress but every time he saw me he'd try to persuade me to join the Sina faction. Then when I was 13 I guess he finally broke. He took me to town with him and disappeared after the market had finished. I tried to find him and that's how I ended up in that alley way. You inspired me, Levi. I'm grateful because you gave my life purpose when I was lost." I described some of the darkest points in my life, hoping that it would help Levi feel a bit better about his situation.

"I'm sorry Eren. You're too young for this to have happened to you" He murmured, cupping my face with his palm.

"It's ok, some of it I deserved" I laughed, gazing into his sorrow filled eyes.

"You didn't." He whispered, his eyes trailing down to my lips before glancing back up at my eyes.

"I guess that means I'm broken to" I smiled, letting out a little laugh.

"Let's be broken together" He suggested, capturing my lips with his own. His lips were soft and warm. I knew that it would draw to an end but I never wanted it to end; the feeling was to addicting. My fingers knotted themselves into his thick ebony hair as his arms wrapped around my waist. I melted into the kiss, all of my heartbreaks and sorrows were forgotten about and I felt at one with him. Our lips parted and he rested his forehead against mine, breathing heavily ,

"That would be nice" I agreed in between breaths and a broad smile spread across his face. He pecked my lips in a sweet kiss and embraced me in a tight hug. His scent was heavenly, I thought as I was enveloped in Levi.

Silence flooded the cabin and we were content in each other's presence. The faint sound of footsteps invaded our silence and soon the door was kicked down. Sina soldiers flooded through the door. Erwin appeared, a disapproving look plastered on his face as he noticed the state of undress Levi was in.

"Eren Yeager, you are under arrest, you will be taken into Sina custardy. I hope you will enjoy your time spent in our dungeons. You seem to like it there"


	13. Chapter 13

A piercing pain shot through my head as I awoke in the dimness of the dungeons. My eyes tried to adjust to light levels, but struggling to do so. I couldn't focus, intense pain was drowning my senses in its over whelming quantities. Around my ankle, a heavy, metal manacle was fastened to tightly. It pinched at my skin at even the slightest movements. My wrists were also fastened together by shiny metal handcuffs. I was dressed in a grimy, what used to be white tank top and a pair of black track suit bottoms which did nothing to shield me from the invasive coldness of the blackness. Tiny, orange flames danced upon each torch which were distributed unevenly and sparsely throughout the large room. I appeared to be alone, and I felt strangely lonely. Someone had always been with me, watching my actions like a hawk but now there was no one. I retreated to my thoughts, trying to make sense of everything that had happened in the past few days. I'd been abducted, made a prisoner, been a part of a small rebellion and been included in the plans of another one. On top of that I'd been beaten, kissed and betrayed. I wanted my simple life back, wished I could go back to before mum died. I miss you mum, I'm sorry. Tears fell haphazardly from my eyes and I relived my memories, remember each detail as accurately as if I was living them at this moment.

Loud footsteps broke me out of my thoughts. The Iron Gate clanged open and the footsteps approached me quickly. Out of the darkness emerged Erwin, Levi and some women that I had never seen before. She had long chocolate hair pulled up into a ponytail and thick black glasses perched upon a small delicate nose. I smiled as I saw Levi but it quickly faded as I noticed Levi's cold, expressionless face. It was as if yesterday hadn't even happened.

"Eren, what you did was so incredibly stupid! What were you thinking?" Erwin scolded, a disappointed expression spread across his face. At his stare I became increasingly uncomfortable, shifting in my place and wincing as the manacles pinched and ripped at my skin.

"I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't think" I admitted looking down at the floor, ashamed of myself.

"You didn't think at all! That's your problem! You're to head strong, you need to control your feelings. It amazes me how you were the leader of faction almost as power as Sina and you were their only leader!" He exclaimed.

"Sir, I believed it would be in the best interests of my faction. That is why I am their leader sir. I don't sacrifice my comrade's lives for the sake of the mission" I explained, trying to quell the anger I was feeling at his previous statement, I am perfectly capable of leading.

"Why was that then Eren?" Erwin asked, his eyebrows raised. Levi was looking away from me, his face one of distress and the woman was looking at me like I was a lab rat.

"Who is she?" I asked, nodding in her direction.

"Oh, I'm Hanji. I'm Levi's personal doctor, but I am the head researcher at the Scouts" She beamed at me, offering her hand. I stared at the hand and she quickly realised that I couldn't shake it and withdrew it awkwardly. Why was Levi's doctor here? I glanced over at Levi and on closer inspection I noticed small cuts littered across his face. His lip was split and there was a dark circle looming around his left eye. Had Erwin done this?

"I escaped because I thought you were planning on betraying Maria. Levi has already explained to me why I was wrong and feel like a complete tool. I'm sorry, it was a misunderstanding, it won't happen again." I answered Erwin's question.

"Ah I understand. I'm sorry I have to do this but its standard protocol. Levi please use any means necessary to get information from Miss Yeager. After 24 hours you may return to the servant's quarters and resume your position. Obviously there will be stricter security now because of this charade. Hanji please be on call for any treatment she may need. Dismissed" Erwin ordered, his voice laced with malice and with that he turned on his heels to leave. Levi's face fell in astonishment.

"But Sir, I can't do that" Levi objected.

"Are you refusing a direct order, solider?" Erwin asked, narrowing his eyes at Levi.

"No Sir" Levi said, looking at the floor dejectedly.

"Good, because we all know what happens to soldiers who don't obey their superiors" Erwin said spitefully. Erwin marched out of the dungeon closely followed by Hanji.

"I'm sorry Eren. I never wanted this to happen" Levi apologised, his eyes full of dread.

"It's ok. This is my fault. I knew the consequences and I still went and did it. Don't hold back now. Wouldn't want Erwin to get suspicious now, would we?" I smiled at him, warmness in my tone.

"Eren, I can't do this. I'm sorry" He admitted hopelessly, sinking to his knees in frustration.

"Talk to me while you do it. Imagine I'm the old captain of the Scouts if that helps" I pushed him, not wanting him to lose his job because of me.  
"That was low, even for you Eren" He scowled, delivering a hard punch to the face and an agonising kick to the stomach. A stinging pain shot through my cheek and the wind departed my chest, leaving me gasping for air like a dying fish. Another fist landed on my nose, sending a stream of blood flowing from my throbbing nose. I grimaced through the excruciating pain. You deserve this, you brought this upon yourself, silly girl. The final blow landed on my face, splitting the skin above my eyebrow causing another trickle of blood to leak down my face. The crimson fluid dribbled into my mouth, staining everything red. All I could taste was rust, the taste of decay.

"I'm sorry Eren. I may have gone a bit over board" Levi said remorsefully.

"Hey, don't feel sorry for me! I asked for this remember" I laughed through the pain.

"How can I not though? I'm too weak to not submit to everyone who orders me around. It's pathetic really" Levi exclaimed, frustrated with himself.

"Levi, it would have been stupid for you to say no to Erwin. I'm not worth getting fired over" I said trying to reason with him.

"You are! I hate it here. Sure I have some friends but people are still scared of me." Levi said, resent laced in his words.

"Levi, without the Scouts, you have nothing. Where will you go? What will you do? And besides they need you to take down Sina. Without you they are nothing." I spoke calmly.

"I hadn't thought about that really" He paused, his face furrowed as he thought about what I had said.

"You see, you're not ready to give this up yet. There's still so much left to do. To achieve" I smiled, hoping I was helping.

"You're right, I'm just so tired of everything." He said quietly, looking me square in the eye. His eyes were pools of sadness and despair. In front of me was no longer the cold, brave soldier. Instead was boy, lost and hopeless. He needed a purpose. And I was going to give him one. We were going to take down Sina, even if it was the last thing I ever did.

"Levi. You mustn't think like that. There's still so much to do but it will be all over soon. After we've taken down Sina; which we will do and we will it together. You'll have so much to live for. You'll be able to leave the army, you'll be able to start a family, get a wife. After we've done this one little thing, there will be so much freedom you'll never be able to experience it all" I said, trying to sound inspiring but I was afraid I had come of a little condescending, I never knew what the right thing to say to Levi was. He was just too unpredictable

"Yeah, you're right. If I make it through this alive, you have to promise me something Eren" He exclaimed, excitement shooting through his eyes. His entire demeanour had changed and he was no bouncing around like an excited child would on Christmas Eve.

"It depends what that is Levi" I said hesitantly. I didn't want to make any promises I could uphold.

"Promise me you'll experience it all with me" He said softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion etched into my facial expression.

"Marry me! And we'll experience life together!" He said happily. His entire being was emitting happiness. It was the most emotion I had seen in him since I had met him.

"Wouldn't you prefer someone like Petra?" I asked, surprised at his sudden outburst.

"No, Eren. I want you." He said simply. My cheeks flushed bright red and a smile stretched across my face. He wanted me that was something I had dreamed he would say, ever since he had saved me.

"I want to say yes, but I'll give the definitive answer after this is all said and done" I replied. "Oh and just wondering Levi, but why are you so injured?" I asked, concerned.

"Erwin. He knocked me about for not returning you to the headquarters as soon as I had found you and because I attacked one of the soldiers that knocked you unconscious" He clarified, running his hand through his hair sheepishly. "I have a question for you, then. Eren, until that time comes, will you be my girlfriend?" Levi asked nervously.

"Of course I will" I laughed at him, he could be cute when he tried. Suddenly footsteps announced the presence of another person and out of the shadows emerged Hanji.

"You guys are so adorable!" She giggled, crossing the distance to us. "Levi, you're needed in the mission room. They have begun to plan the attack with the troops from Maria. Eren I need to treat your wounds." She explained, unlocking the handcuffs and manacles.

"Please follow me"


	14. Chapter 14

The infirmary always sends chills down my spine, it doesn't matter where it is or what it looks like. It is always a strangely eerie place. Blinding white lights lit the room, afflicting me with an aching headache. After being in the dungeon for a prolonged period of time, any amount of light would hurt my body. I was led on a lumpy, cold hospital bed, trying to remain awake as my body was assaulted by varying levels of pain. I wish Hanji would hurry up and finish whatever she was doing and treat me. I really wanted to go to sleep. My eyes slowly drooped closed and my brain was encased in a thick fog. Sleep wrapped its soothing tendrils around me and I drifted off soundly.

Beep, beep, beep. What was that noise? Was I time to get up? Beep, beep, beep. I groaned in annoyance. Could someone turn that off? It really annoying.

"Eren! Can you hear me?" A female voice asked. Of course I can hear you, what are you on about. Leave me alone to sleep. "She's still not responding. How hard did you hit her for Christ sake? Eren can you open your eyes for me?" The voice asked again, cutting through the fog that encased my mind. Again, of course I can. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't budge. What was going on? Had I died? Panic began to rise, gripping me in its suffocating grip. Beep, beep, beep, beep. The annoying noise quickened. That was a heart machine, it had to be. At least I know I'm still alive.

"What exactly is wrong with her?" another voice asked, breaking through the thick layers of fog that had swallowed me.

"She's got heavy bleeding on the brain. Erwin should of let me look over her before she was put in the dungeon. She's severely concussed. You've also fractured her cheek, broken her nose and she needs stiches in her eyebrow and lip. I think her body has gone into a coma, in order to help it recover from the severe stress it's been under lately. There's no telling how long she'll be under for, it could be hours, days, weeks, or years. I'm sorry Levi. There's nothing I can do" the voice explained. I'm right here! I can hear you! Wait for me Levi, I won't be long. I felt like I was on the verge of tears but nothing came. All there was, was a void pit of nothingness. I could hear everything, I just couldn't do anything. I was a prisoner in my own body. How could I help rid the earth of Sina, if I couldn't even move my body?

A sharp pain shot through my face repeatedly, prick after pick. The skin on my face becoming tighter with each prick. The same sensation followed on my lower lip. A lump of fluff was placed over my noise and was taped in place.

"Hanji?" Levi asked.

"Yes Levi?" She replied as she treated my corpse like body.

"Could she die from this?" He questioned hesitantly. "It's just she promised that we'd defeat Sina together. She promised we'd experience life together" He said breaking down in tears.

"There's always the chance that she'll never wake up but in this case I think that is very unlikely. Don't think about that too much" Hanji said, trying to comfort the hysterical man.

"It's just I can't lose her, Hanji. Not when I just found her" He sobbed.

 **~Levi~**

"It's just I can't lose her Haji. Not when I just found her" I sobbed, staring blankly at Eren's motionless body, as if I was willing her to wake up.

"I know Levi. You've got to help he fight this by being strong" She said sympathetically, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting hug.

"Thank you Hanji. I appreciate this but I hate to be a burden. Please excuse me, I need to get back to the Mission room." I said gratefully, approaching Eren to say goodbye. I brushed my lips against her good cheek, staring at her wistfully. She looked so beautiful in her slumber. I already missed her, this was bad.

"Sweet dreams angel" I murmured in her ear and then left the infirmary. Once I was only in my own company, I slouched against the wall and broke down. Why did this always happen to me? Eren was now in a coma because I had failed in my job and that resulted in a crushing blow to the head. Was I cursed? Don't get to close to Levi or you'll end up dead. Was it too much to ask for to have a little happiness? I closed my eyes and tried to compose myself. Taking deep breaths, I wiped away the tears and put on my emotionless mask. I strode toward the mission room. I didn't want to be here anymore. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a room full of solemn face.

"How is she?" Erwin asked, remorse caked his face. I'm glad your regretting your actions you pig, its because of your orders that she's practically dead. I narrowed my eyes at him and ignored the question. A blonde kid stood beside him and next to him stood Mikasa. Both their faces were mirrored in each other, displaying concern and sympathy. They were her friends, I couldn't keep the information from them just to spite Erwin. That was just cruel.

"She's in a coma, Hanji doesn't know when she'll wake up. The moron you ordered to knock her out smacked her a bit too hard." I said bluntly.

"I'm sorry Levi" Erwin apologised, staring at the ground, a shameful look plastered across his face.

"Save it. Let's start planning then. That's what we're here for right?" I said, changing the subject.

"Yes, that would be the best course to take. This is Armin and you've already met Mikasa. They are from Maria and will be helping us in the rebellion" Erwin introduced the two children stood beside him. The blonde bashfully waved at us and Mikasa nodded a greeting.

"We're going to need a lot more soldiers than we have at moment. And the same goes for the supplies. I propose a massive recruitment increase on the Maria side and a smaller yet effective recruitment increase in the Scout regiment. This is so it doesn't look suspicious to the Sina higher ups." Armin began, explaining each point thoroughly.

"That sounds good. Actually, it would also be more believable for Maria to have an increase as they have just sustained massive casualties in their last rebellion attempt" Erwin agreed enthusiastically.

"Precisely." Armin smiled.

"Won't it look suspicious though? Like they'll think you're regrouping to attack again" I asked, trying to fix the holes in the plan.

"Yes, it would but they'll be expecting it. Therefore they won't care because they think it will take years for us to train our soldiers to half where near as good as them. They expect the regrouping therefore its best to stick to the most obvious plan to avoid suspicion. Is there any way of increasing the amount of supplies you get, Erwin?" Armin clarified before looking at Erwin expectantly.

"I could speak to the higher ups. They'd want a reason though" Erwin answered, hesitantly.  
"Ah ok. Do they ever ask for equipment lists or do they ever check the equipment?" Armin questioned.

"They ask for an equipment list every year and we're expected to do the checks ourselves" I replied, picking at my nails. This meeting had already grown tedious. I wasn't one for planning every meticulous detail, I was just the guy that carried out the orders.

"Ok. Tell them that you've been robbed by a smaller faction when you were out on a scouting expedition or something along those lines. That's easy to get around. We'll need six months for training the new recruits and to improve our own soldiers. I think the best way to do this would be swapping the instructors around so the Scouts teach Maria soldiers and vice versa. This gives us the element of surprise against our opponent. During this time we need to plan our battle plan and check it for possible failures. There's so much to do and so little time." Armin described everything that was running through his brain at that moment, it seemed.

"What are our orders than Commander Erwin?" Petra asked from the corner of the room.

"Levi Squad are in charge of training the new recruits. Maria's equivalent squad should do the same. Squad 4 are in charge of our resources. Squad 2 you're on planning the battle and squad 3 you're on recruitment. Is everything clear? Any questions?" Erwin asked, his speech was rushed. What was up with him now? A series of yes, sirs and no, sirs rang out across the room. I remained silent, glaring coldly at Erwin.

"It's good to mention that we have 9 months to carry out this operation before Sina launch their operation exterminate then."


	15. Chapter 15

Shock blasted through my system, debilitating my senses for a lengthy period of time. Mummers of conversation flitted through the room; confusion, panic and hopelessness echoed throughout the room. Disheartened expressions mirrored on every soldier's face. 9 months, we had 9 months to plan and carry out what seemed like a suicide mission at this moment in time. An uncomfortable silence drifted into the room; smothering me.

"Sir, are you crazy?" I asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

"No. I know it must seem like it, but it's of absolute importance that we get this completed within the 9 months." He replied, deadly seriousness held in his tone. Soldiers nervously looked between the commander and I, tension was leeching from both of us into the already tense atmosphere. My brows furrowed in annoyance. Why was the commander being so ominous? There was no need for it and it was just worsening the moral of both factions. If Eren was here, she'd be able make light of this situation, make every soldier here feel better about this predicament. My heart throbbed at the thought of her, I just want her back. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose in frustration, trying to compose myself.

"What's happening in 9 months then Erwin? Are you having a kid or something?" I joked, a stern expression still expressed on my face. Erwin glared disapprovingly at the jest.

"This is a serious matter Levi. We have no time for your childish antics." He scolded, crossing his arms.

"Are you going to answer his question though? It's what everyone wants to know. Don't withhold vital information from us, it makes Maria question their loyalties" Mikasa chimed in. Her face showing no sign of emotion; a mask of neutrality, however her voice rang with annoyance, her words edged with bitterness, betraying her true feelings on the matter.

"Of course, of course, I was just getting to the matter." He said surprised at Mikasa's sudden outburst. The girl had been silent for almost the entire of the meeting, and now was voicing her opinions. "9 Months from now, General Lee Wright is launching Operation Trident; which I've dubbed as Operation Exterminate because that's quite frankly what it is. Do you have questions? It will be easier to explain it that way." Erwin said in an introductory fashion. Hands of perplexed soldiers shot up in response. Erwin nodded to a girl with bright scarlet curls and freckles splashed across her face.

"Sir, what is this operation hoping to achieve?" She asked, hesitantly.

"There are three stages to this operation; each stage's aim gets more despicable. Stage 1 lays the ground work for the rest of the stages. It's preparation for the war which they assume will follow after stage 2 commences. They're gathering resources, training new recruits, researching new technologies and improving the functionality of Sina as a whole. In stage 2, the first blood will be spilt. High ranking officers such as myself will be ordered to round up any leaders of factions, the leaders will then be forced to choose whether or not they want to fight for us, if they don't they will be executed. Leaders such as Eren, who have already shown resistance, will be executed straight away and others who have also show opposition to Sina will be killed. Stage 3 is grossly inhumane. The thing Dr Yeager had been researching before his disappearance will be released, which if everything runs as smoothly as it planned will wiped out the human race aside from those who have been selected to carry on the human race. The selection process for that has already begun. Everybody is aware of the new housing develop which has been built to the east of the capital, yes?" The sea of solemn faces in the meeting room nodded in confirmation and Erwin carried on. "Good, that will save some explaining then. You'll have noticed that it has incredibly tall concrete walls surrounding the development, not only is that to keep us out, it's to keep the civilians unaware of what is happening to the outsiders. So in essence, Stage 1is preparation, Stage 2 is eliminating the enemies and Stage 3 is the mass slaughter of innocents" Erwin concluded gravely. Silence fell as the sinister plan was revealed.

"Why is General Wright doing this?" Another soldier asked abruptly, his voice shaking as he addressed the Commander.

"That I can't answer. I can only assume it's because he wants even more control over the people who already cower in fear at the sound of his name. It sickens me that one man want's this much death and destruction for their own selfish gain." Erwin said, his eyes were narrowed in disgust and he had a grim look set on his face.

"Actually Sir, I don't think that's the reason at all." I interrupted the discussion. Erwin's eyes darted in my direction; wide with shock.

"What is it then?" Erwin demanded.

"I think the General has let the power go to his mind. The General has always had a weak mind; everyone knows he's not very mentally stable. I think his mind has finally gone over the edge, that the General is living in his own delusions. This Operation is a result of his childish wishes of wanting to rid the world of its corruptness and the 'bad' people. However this isn't the General's plans, do you really think someone so childlike could come up plans as disgusting and homicidal as these? No, this is the work of someone else, someone is manipulating the General. Pulling the strings like he were a puppet." I theorised, realizing that this scheme was much bigger than Erwin had first thought, glancing over at Erwin to find that he was thinking that same as I was, his eyes were wide in fear and beads of sweat were forming above his brow.

"If this is true, we'll have to take extra precautions whilst planning a counter attack to this. This Operation is no longer a liberation mission; it is now a mission to save the human race from these psyhco's." Erwin stated, wiping the droplets of sweat from his forehead and visibly calming himself. Panic was injected into the tone of the room. The once strong commander of the Scouts was coming close to falling apart before our eyes, further damping the soldier's morale.

"When does training begin?" I asked, getting bored of this meeting. The key information had already been shared and now the entirety of this room was cowering in fear but trying to put up a strong façade. It would be quite funny, if the problem wasn't a mass genocide.

"Training will begin Monday. So in three days' time. This gives up the opportunity to gather more recruits and supplies whilst the trainers plan what they're going to teach. Soldiers might want to take tomorrow of though. Today's meeting was a lot to stomach in a short period of time and therefore I don't expect you to work. That said, you still can if you want to." Erwin explained kindly. The soldiers face's relaxed at the fact they didn't have to work. As much as Erwin irked me, he was a pretty decent commander, always looking out for his troops. I had to commend that attitude.

"Can I be excused from this meeting then?" I asked a light smile brushed on my face.

"Of course. That goes for anyone. You can leave unless you have further questions" Erwin instructed, only ever acknowledging my question as he address the soldiers. Anger surged through my person, that stupid runt. He almost got Eren killed and he ignores me? Go to hell Eren. I stormed out of the room, leaving behind a roomful of shocked, fearful subordinates.

As soon as I had broken free of the uncomfortable atmosphere of that small, enclosed room, my thoughts broke through the barrier I had constructed. Doubts worming their way back into my sober brain. Had Eren woken up yet? Was she ok? My feet unconsciously carried me to the infirmary, hopping that if I wished hard enough I would turn the corner to find a perfectly fine, conscious Eren joking a laughing with the nurse. I pushed the heavy, oak door open. It creaked and groaned in protest as it slowly revealed the sterile environment of the infirmary. The infirmary was a strange L shape, one wing containing only beds and the other the Doctor's supplies. Shelves upon shelves scattered the pristine, white walls of the left wing. Each shelf filled to the brim with small jars of different varieties of medicines. Along the longer walls of the right wing were small, ashy, single beds. Each bed surrounded by a colourless curtain which was hanging limply from the cold stainless steel rail. This was to create the illusion of privacy even though you could see through the stark white curtains as they were sheer.

I stepped inside the spotless, characterless room and slowly trudged over to Eren's bed. I paused at the curtain, I was reluctant to pull the piece of fabric back. I didn't want to see the condition Eren was in, in case she had worsened. Pull yourself together Levi! I shook my head at the state I was in. It was pitiful really. I ripped back the curtain to find an unconscious Eren lying peacefully on the bed. Her eyes were closed in a blissful sleep, her thick brown eyelashes caressed the tops of her cheeks, and her perfect, rosy lips were angled in a soft smile. Even though she was in a coma, this was the happiest I'd seen her. The weight of the world had begun to suffocate her and now it had been lifted, temporarily. Please stay asleep until this is over Eren. You're to innocent, to pure to be involved in this war. I sat down on the plush chair positioned next to the bed. I'll stay here, beside you until you wake up Eren. Exhaustion flooded my senses as I sunk into the relaxing softness of the chair, my eyes fluttered closed and I drifted into the dark recesses of slumber.


	16. Chapter 16

A huge yawn racked through my body as I stretched my body. I'd fallen asleep on the plush, soft chair besides Eren. Bright light flooded in through the window, splashing everything in its golden glow. The entire room was illuminated by the sun's vivid gold tinged, white rays. I squinted my eyes as they adjusted to the sudden increase in light levels. I glanced over at Eren's sleeping form. She was led on her back, her chocolate hair fanned out around her head, her emerald eyes shielded by her olive toned eyelids. There was a faint blush spread across her rounded cheeks and the small smile was still stretched across her face. Her body was rigid, almost as if she was a corpse. Distress flitted through my body, I hated how she looked right now, and knowing she was alive in this shell of a body annoyed me. The free spirit Eren was now trapped in her own body. It was kind of ironic how Eren always fought for other's freedom and she had now been revoked access to her own body. And it was all because of Erwin's commands. Anger seeped through the distress leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I will get you back for this Erwin, but not yet, you're still useful to us.

Days flew past, those days turned into weeks, those weeks turned into months and nothing had changed. My life had become a monotonous prison. I'd wake up beside Eren's hospital bed, she'd still be asleep and I would leave. My day would be then taken up by training. Training the new recruits, training the old recruits and training myself, stopping only for tea breaks and food breaks. I would then retreat to my study, catch up on my paper work, read a book or clean something for the a thousandth time. It would then be dinner, which would be in the main dining hall. Dinner was the only thing that was slightly different each day. It was always a surprise to see what Marco had cooked for everyone. I always sat next to Hanjii, trying my best to keep away from Erwin. My anger at the blonde man grew with every passing second, I didn't even know if it would dissipate once Eren awakened but I knew that if she didn't wake up, she would be the only one in a coma. And once dinner was over I would retreat back to the infirmary, to fall asleep in the purple chair beside Eren's bed.

The planning of the rebellion which would take back Hircea from Sina had been underway for four months now. I'd heard that Armin is pretty close to finishing the battle plans with five months to spare. I had no idea what that entailed though; I had opted out of faction meetings and thrown myself head first into work. This was for a few reasons really and not just because of Erwin. Our recruits should be ready to fight within another month or two and the supplies were getting plentiful. We were so close to the final stand, I could almost taste the liberation, the freedom. I'm scared though, what will this new world be like?

The warm summer rays beat down on the courtyard, warming my back as I stood watching the cadets fight in hand to hand combat. The cadets were ready for battle now, I had informed Armin of that weeks ago however he had insisted the plans just weren't ready yet. In all honesty I don't know how much longer I can keep training these kids to punch and kick each other. Regular Scout training would also incorporate the Mobility gear but I was told we couldn't take the cadets of the property as I would be recognised as the Captain of the Scouts and the rest of Sina would become suspicious about the fact the Scout regiment were training so many new recruits. I don't understand why though. We had sustained heavy casualties in the Maria attack a few months ago. That was why they had Mikasa teaching the cadets about the use of the Mobility gear and I was stuck 'teaching' hand to hand and sword combat. This arrangement was alright when there was actually something to teach the new cadets but now all I did everyday of every week was watch my subordinates attack each other from the side lines. It was time to have some fun myself.

"Listen up you little brat!" I shouted across the courtyard causing the cadets to pause their fights and stare at me in confusion. I'd never once stopped their training once they'd begun an exercise.

"We're going to have a little tournament! Winner gets to fight me" I winked, summoning Marco with my bell. The boy stepped out from the crowd of soldiers gathered around the wooden stage I was stood on.

"How can I be of service to you, Sir?" He asked, saluting me in respect.

"Can you get me the chalk board out of the supply shed please?" I requested and he ran off to the shed as soon as I finished my sentence. I smiled at the boy, I was pleased I'd chosen Marco as my only servant. I considered him my friend. The brunette boy ran out of the shed, chalkboard in tow. He pulled the board over and up on to the stage in record time, placing a box of white chalk besides the base of the board. He jumped of the stage to re-join the crowd of soldiers, panting heavily. I grabbed the chalks and drew a quick diagram of the different tournament rounds.

"Here's how it works. Win against your fighting partner and you'll be in the next round. Your first fight partner is written on the board. Please be quick about it and send the winner up to me once you've finished" I explained lazily before sitting myself on the edge of the stage. A chorus of 'yes sir' exploded and the soldiers all ran of the begin their fights.

After about an hour of watching the cadets struggle to defeat each other and get into more fights as they couldn't decide who was the winner of a round, I was approached by a tall, black haired boy. Nerves infected the area around the boy like an infectious disease, was I really that scary?

"Sir? I have won the tournament. Do i get to fight you this training session?" He asked timidly.

"Sure, if you think you're up too it. What's your name cadet?" I answered, dropping on to the floor from the stage.

"Timmy, Sir" He said, saluting me. I rolled my eyes at the cadet. I will never understand why the cadets feel it's necessary to salute me after everything they say to me. I strolled over to the nearest fighting ring and shrugged of my jacket, dropping it haphazardly on to the floor.

"C'mon on then! Let's see what you're made of then Timmy!" I jeered at the anxious boy. The boy lunged at me, trying to get a hold of my waist. I dodged to the side of the taller man and stuck my leg out in an attempt to trip Timmy up. He saw through my plan and stumbled to the side of me. I swung my fist at his face, connecting it straight to the side of his cheek. I swung my leg at the man and kicked him straight in the groin. Timmy fell to his knees, clutching at his groin. I slammed my fist into his back, causing him to collapse on his front.

"Good fight there, Timmy. Work on your defence a bit more, then you might be able to beat me" I laughed, patting him on the back before turning to pick up my jacket. I slung it over my shoulder and walked off in the direction of the dining hall.

"Training dismissed"

Dinner had been the same as usual, boring as hell. Hanjii had given me a detailed description about everyone she had treated throughout the day, completely putting me of the dinner Marco had cooked. I was annoyed, it was my favourite meal, spaghetti carbonara. After that ordeal I had quickly left after I'd finished all I could stomach. My shoes clacked along the wooden floor as I marched to the infirmary. And when I was back in the familiar, sterile environment, I resumed my position on the purple chair that was beside Eren's bedside, hoping that while I was sleeping, Eren would magically awaken from her coma. I pulled my knees in against my chest, hugging them tightly against my chest and resting my forehead lightly on my knees. I pressed my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that were brimming. I was tired of this life; I wanted Eren back, I wanted to live a normal life and I wanted my family back. I didn't want to be a member of the Scouts anymore, I didn't want to be a part of the death and despair that entailed members of the Scouts. All I wanted was my old life restored; my mother back alive and well, my father and friends still alive and my quiet, uneventful country life returned to me. I know I can't have that, no matter how hard I wished for it to return, it wouldn't and I'd always be stuck with this unfortunate fate. I was grateful for the cruddy hand I had been dealt, if it happened then I'd never of become the person I am today, met the people I have or experienced the things I have. People always wish to have things which are impossible to even to comprehend getting. That's just human nature I suppose. I wished for my simple life back, the innocent boy working on a farm surrounded by friends and family when I know that even when I had that life I still wasn't satisfied. When I was a boy, I craved adventure, to experience life and travel the world and now that I have that more interesting life that I desired I wanted it back. I suppose it's not all it cracked up to be. Losing my mother, my father and my friends just wasn't worth the price of this life. I shook my head in annoyance, trying to rid myself of these depressive thoughts. What was I on about? I had great friends here; Hanjii, Petra, Gunther and hell even Erwin when he wasn't being a tool. They will never be Summa or Kayden but they are pretty special. In all honesty I guess I'm just tired of the situation I'm in. Tired of seeing the people I care about hurt for pointless reasons. I just want Eren back. Using the corner of my jacket I wiped the tears out of my eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to compose myself. I rested my head against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling, still contemplating the mistakes of my life.

Movements flickered in the corner of eye. My head snapped to the location of the movement. Eren. Eren was sat up in bed, staring at me with her wide, leaf green eyes. Confusion and fear were apparent in her eyes but I didn't care.

"Hanjii! She's awake!" I screamed in joy.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hanji! She's awake! She's awake" I screamed excitedly, across the room. I heard a crash as something struck the floor and a shocked, pale Hanji appeared at the foot of Eren's bed. A bright smiled spread across the brunette's face as she noticed Eren's dazed face, her eyes drooping in exhaustion.

"This is amazing news! We'll be able to begin her rehabilitation programme much sooner than we first thought. Who knows, she may even be able to fight with us!" Hanji exclaimed, bouncing on her feet. "However, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a moment whilst I give her a check up." She said, pulling the metal stethoscope that hung carelessly around her neck off.  
"Sure, please be quick and let me know as soon as you've finished" I agreed, placing my fist over my chest in a salute and vacating the ward. I clicked the heavy oak door shut behind me as I exited the sterile infirmary. I should probably tell the other's that she's awoken. I couldn't help the widening smile that grew larger with every step I took towards the common room. I pushed the door open and an uncomfortable silence struck the room. Every soldier's gaze was froze on me. What was wrong? Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the Commander slouched across a royal blue, velvet sofa, situated in front of a wide flat screen TV. Images of the news flickered across TV, being ignored by every soldier besides Erwin. My brows furrowed in annoyance at the sight of the blonde man, but I was to elated to care. Engaged in a furious chess battle, opposite the large open window were Armin and Mikasa. Great, everyone of importance was here. I cleared my throat, trying to grab their attention.  
"Soldiers, I have a very important announcement to make. Eren Yeager has awoken from her coma. Please do not rush to see her, Hanji is still performing her tests. We can begin our mission sooner than we first expected" I explained, the atmosphere in the room dissipating as the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll see everyone in training bright and early tomorrow" I smiled at the crowd before leaving the room. Cheers of delight rang out across the common room as my news sunk in. I was sure there would be a celebration soon. Whistling, I strode back to the infirmary, ecstatic that I could now hold her.

~Eren~  
Bright, white light sliced through my slumber as my eyes snapped open. What had happened? Where was I? Panic surged through my body, clenching around my throat, suffocating me. My eyes flickered across the room trying to recognise something in this vast, immaculate room. The panic surging through me like a tidal wave only heightened when I spotted a sleeping man, hunched over in the purple chair besides my bed. Almost as if he felt my confused stare, he awoke, his head snapping up to face me. I jumped back, trying to make it look like I was still asleep but keeping my eyes directly on the strange man. His hair was ruffled, dark black circles were painted around his sapphire eyes and his skin was a pale, fair shade of cream. This man was attractive, to put it lightly. Was he here to kill me? A broad smile stretched across the man's face.  
"Hanji! Hanji! She's awake!" He shouted, happiness radiating from his very being. Who was this man? A clatter of something hitting the marble floor rang out, cutting through the silence like it was nothing. Footsteps clacked closer and closer until a bouncy, brunette woman appeared at the foot of the bed. She wore a pair of black framed glasses with a plaster wound around the centre of the glasses. Her long, chocolate locks were pulled back in a high ponytail which messily had strands falling haphazardly out of the band and around her face. On her she wore a crisp white, lab coat on top of an army uniform. Why was she wearing an army uniform? The man beside me also wore the same uniform. Was I in an army camp?  
"This is amazing news! We'll be able to begin her rehabilitation programme much sooner than we first thought. Who knows, she may even be able to fight with us!" The woman exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight. "However, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a moment whilst I give her a check up." She said to the man. She pulled her stethoscope of her neck and placed the buds in her ears. The man nodded and left the ward swiftly. The entire room's professional and sterile atmosphere had evaporated and was replaced with nothing but elated joy.

"Hello Eren. How are you feeling?" The woman asked, leaning over to place the circular end of the stethoscope on my chest. Who's Eren? Should I be feeling bad? I have a raging headache but I thought that was because of the bright, white environment I was in. My hand shot up to the back of my head, only to discover something that felt like gauze wound around my hair. What had happened? The panic from earlier resurfaced, racing through my body. My breathing becoming more shallow as the panic wrapped my entire body it it, cocooning me in only my fears.  
"You don't know what's happening do you?" The woman asked again, a look of sadness briefly passed across her face. I shook my head, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.  
"How much do you remember?" The woman questioned, trying to get a grip on the situation.  
"My mind is like a blank slate. I'm sorry, I don't know who any of you are" I admitted sheepishly.  
"Ok. That's not good" She laughed awkwardly, running her hand through her ponytail. "I'm Hanji. The man in here earlier was Levi Ackerman, he's your boyfriend" She smirked winking at me. My eye's widened in shock, that couldn't be true.  
"The look on your face! Don't worry, no one actually knows the relationship status between the two of you!" She exclaimed, spluttering with laughter. "Anyway I got a bit off topic there. You're Eren Yeager, the 17 year old commander of the Maria faction. Your father is missing, your mother dead and the only sort of siblings you have are Mikasa and Armin. They'll probably be here later. You were captured by the Scout regiment and are now Levi's servant so we can keep you in our custody. Maria and the Scouts have formed an alliance in order to help each other take down the leading faction , Sina. You ran away after hearing misinformation. When you were recaptured, one of our soldiers hit you extremely hard on the head and you slipped into a coma. You've been in one for several months now. We're three months away from the final battle between us and Sina. That's three months you have to recover. Everything you missed will be explained as soon as you're well enough." Hanji explained, hesitantly as if she was scared of getting something wrong. Flashes of my childhood, my identity and my faction flicked through my mind, faces She picked up a torch from the bedside table and turned it on. Click. Bright, searing light shone in my eyes, leaving colourful shapes flashing in front of them.  
"You seem to be in normal condition. We'll continue to monitor your head wound and give you painkillers to relieve the majority of the pain. Unfortunately, the blow has seemed to trigger amnesia. We'll try to trigger your memories which I think will be quite simple. I don't think it's permanent. Has any memories resurfaced?" Hanji said, checking my IV drip.  
"Thank you for all you've done, Hanji. I have little scraps at the moment but I'm sure that the more I'm told and the more I see, the more I will be able to remember" I murmured weakly, my eyes drooping. A wave of exhaustion had hit me, trying to pull me back under from where I had just escaped from.  
"You don't have to thank me, I'm just doing my job. I'll leave you to rest but I'm afraid you can't sleep just yet. Levi will want to see you" She chuckled as she drew the curtain behind her.

Oh crap, Levi was coming to see me! What do I say to him? What can I say to him? I don't even remember him! He's practically a stranger. An eery silence fell over the infirmary. Where had Hanji gone? I could hear muttering voices that were muted by the thick curtains that hung limply from each rack. My eyes struggled to stay open, it was as if I was fighting a war with my own subconscious. How had my life come to this? I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking over what Hanji had told me. My father was missing... Grisha was missing. He was only my father in the biological sense, he'd abandoned me when I was 12 and left me to be attacked. I was attacked! Someone saved me...  
"Ergh! Why can't I remember?" I sobbed resting my forehead in my palms. Tears began leaking down my face. I heard the curtain be drawn back and I felt a presence in front of me.  
"Eren? What's wrong?" The voice asked, ringing out through the silence. I looked up through tear soaked eyes, it was the man from earlier. I think Hanji had said this was Levi, the one who I couldn't remember anything about. Looking at the former friend, tears started overflowing, I was no longer able to keep up the emotional barricade I had up.  
"Levi?" I sobbed. At this he scooped me up in his arms, engulfing me in his warmth. I inhaled deeply, this scent, it was so familiar, so homely. What was it?  
"Eren? What's wrong?" He repeated, his voice now edged with urgency.  
"Levi, I can't remember anything" I cried, sobbing into his shoulder.


	18. Chapter 18

"It's all gone! Every memory I have of you is gone! I don't know what to do." I cried frustrated. He withdrew from the hug, gripping my shoulders and staring me in the eyes. I thought he'd be angry with me but the only expression I could detect in his sapphire eyes was compassion with a hint of sorrow.

"You still have some memories though? They're not all completely gone are they?" He asked softly.

"Most of them have returned in fragments, if not they are back all together." I muttered, ashamed of my own memories. A brief look of hurt crossed his face before a smile replaced it.

"So you're saying it's just the memories with me that you don't have?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"No, not exactly. Some of the memories of my mum are gone, I remember when she died but that's about it. Even the things I do remember are patchy. I'm really sorry Levi" I cried, pressing my head into my palm as tears trickled slowly down my face. I felt so useless, so dumb, and so pointless. I could remember everything but what he wanted me to. A pregnant pause sank into the room, sucking the light atmosphere into its void. Beads of sweat began forming on my face as I studied Levi's expression. However to my dismay, the man remained eerily emotionless. Nothing betrayed the short man's feelings about the current predicament. He pinched the top of his nose, deep in thought. He let out a large, frustrated sigh before looking me straight in the eye.  
"Eren. I don't care if you can remember me. I promise you, I will make you remember our past but in the mean time we'll make more memories" He spoke, determinedly.

"I'd appreciate that, Levi" I said, smiling shyly at the man. Thoughts hit me like a train. Panic surged through my veins. Did he expect us to pick up where we'd left off? I couldn't remember what that was but Hanji had said that everyone thought we were dating. Maybe I should ask him? I don't want to upset the man. If we were dating, it's bad enough finding out your girlfriend doesn't recall anything you've done together but to tell him that I don't even know who he is would probably be the last straw. I gulped, urging my nerves to return to the pit of my stomach. Almost as if he could sense my distress, he opened his mouth to say something but said nothing.

"What are we Levi?" I asked abruptly. His eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger.

"What are we? I thought you knew? I thought you knew who I was! If you didn't then you should have said something sooner" He hissed, fury radiating of off the small man.

"I didn't know how to bring it up. Hanji explained to me who you were but she couldn't tell me what we were. Apparently no one knows apart from you." I exclaimed trying to reason with the man.

"That's true. I'm a private person, I felt no need to tell anyone. It wasn't their business" He sighed, the anger draining from him as if someone had pulled a plug out of their bath.

"So Levi. Can you answer my question?" I repeated, desperately trying to get an answer from the irritated man.

"I'd thought it'd be obvious. We were dating Eren. However-

His words served as a trigger, bringing the wall blocking my memories crashing down on me, and the memories cascading and surging through the empty recesses of my mind, bringing the colour back to my broken mind. Flashes of my childhood became entire feature length films, fights became battles and conversations became relationships. Levi's words were lost in the choppy seas of my minds as each fragment tried to piece itself back together. A splitting pain shot through my head and the light drained from my vision, returning me to the pitch black abyss I had fought so hard to escape.

"Eren!" Levi screamed, his desperation ringing through my ears as I faded into unconsciousness.

 **~Levi~**

"It's all gone! Every memory I have of you is gone! I don't know what to do." She cried, her small, frail body racked with uncontrollable sobs. Countless emotions swirled around my mind; rage, fear, anxiety, pity. However they were all over shone by the need to help her. I couldn't sit back and watch her suffer but I felt so helpless. I had no idea how to help her. How useless could I get?

"You still have some memories though? They're not all gone though" I asked, testing the waters and trying to grasp the extent of the damage.

"Most of them have returned in fragments, if not they are back all together." She muttered under her breath as if she was ashamed of something she couldn't control. My face grew expressionless as I tried to keep myself composed, strong for her.

"So you're telling me that it's just the memories with me you don't have?" I asked, raising my eyebrow sceptically. I found it hard to believe that her brain was only supressing anything with me, almost as if it was filtering me out of her life. As I thought over the situation, I found myself becoming angrier and more bitter, I understood she couldn't help her condition but it didn't mean I had to like it.

"No, not exactly. Some of the memories of my mum are gone, I remember when she died but that's about it. Even the things I do remember are patchy. I'm really sorry Levi" She cried, resting her forehead in her palms as tear after tear cascaded down her rosy cheeks. My heart throbbed in sympathy, wishing I could console her but the anger I felt towards her was preventing me from fulfilling my desires. Relief washed over me, it wasn't just me she couldn't remember. I breathed out a sigh of respite. My mind had fallen so deep into the pit that was my thoughts that I hadn't realised the awkward silence that had fallen over the room, encasing everything in it's thick, suffocating tension. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I considered all the options, I could vent my irritation at the situation or I could take the understanding route. That would be the best and most productive thing to do however the selfish side of me wanted to yell, to scream and to break things because things hadn't gone how I wanted them to. I sighed in frustration, I couldn't pick. What am I saying? I should obviously pick the one that's best for Eren. How could I be so self-pitying? Determination set in, I need to save Eren. I'm going to be the one who's going to fix her. Inhaling a deep breath, I brought my eyes up to look her dead in the eye. Her eyes were filled with despair and panic as stray tears leaked from her raw eyes.

"Eren. I don't care if you can remember me. I promise you, I will make you remember our past but in the mean time we'll make more memories" I spoke, carefully selecting my words in order to achieve the effect I wanted. A small pink blush tinted her cheeks as a small, shy smile graced her faced.

"I'd appreciate that Levi" She spoke, tameness creeping into her voice. Her eyes widened in panic, as if she was a deer caught in headlights. Her breathing grew erratic and stressed. Concern for her wellbeing rang through my barren mind. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong but no sound ever came out. I couldn't find the words to ask her. What if it was something she didn't want to tell? I'd feel stupid if I'd asked the question then. She noticed this and a confused expression briefly displayed on her face before being replaced by a panicked one.

"What are we Levi?" She asked abruptly. My eyes widened, I felt as if they were about to pop out of my skull. It grew so silent you could hear a pin drop. I thought she knew who I was? Why wasn't she aware of our relationship status? White hot rage flooded my mind, disintegrating any rational thought I might have had. I knew it wasn't her thought. I don't know why I assumed that she knew. But it was as if my body was on airplane mode and the rage was its pilot.

"What are we? I thought you knew? I thought you knew who I was! If you didn't then you should have said something sooner" I hissed, seething. How could she not know? Wasn't it obvious? Why had no one told her?

"I didn't know how to bring it up. Hanji explained to me who you were but she couldn't tell me what we were. Apparently no one knows apart from you." She exclaimed trying to reason with the me but it wasn't sinking in, The anger had consumed to many of my rational thoughts. I'm sorry Eren, you don't deserve this, nor do you deserve me.

"That's true. I'm a private person, I felt no need to tell anyone. It wasn't their business" I sighed, the anger had slowly started to dissipate as I realised how pathetic I was being. Did it really matter if anyone had told her or not? I hadn't told anyone for them to be able to tell her anything. I'd brought this one on myself, I had no reason to be angry with her, especially in her condition.

"So Levi. Can you answer my question?" Eren repeated, desperation leaking into her voice. I'm guessing this was affecting her just as much as it was me. I wasn't being fair.

"I'd thought it'd be obvious. We were dating Eren. However I think it's best to remain friends until you have fully recovered from your injuries and your amnesia." I reasoned, oblivious to the state Eren had fallen into. Her leaf green eyes had grown distant and unfocused, her pink mouth had opened wide in shock and her entire face was frozen in a startled expression.

"Eren? Eren? What's wrong" I spoke urgently. Hoping I could snap her out of whatever was debilitating her at this moment. Moments passed, she still seemed unaware of what was happening around her, as if she was stuck in her own mind. Her eyes dimed and her body crumpled, falling heavily to the bed. I ran forward to grab her before her head smashed against the unforgiving, metal bedframe.

"Eren!" I screamed, hoping I would somehow get through to her. I need to get Hanji but I couldn't leave. Something worse could happen while I was away. Weighing out the positives and negatives, I decided that getting Hanji was to urgent and charged out to find Hanji. She should be in her Lab. Dashing through the corridors, I avoided the soldiers and obstacles on the way and eventually ended up plummeting through the lab's double doors. Hanji was stood, bent over an bench and inspecting whatever experiment she was working on this month. I skidded to a halt, almost falling on my face and cleared my throat.

"Hanji! It's Eren! She's fallen unconscious. I can't wake her up and I have no idea what to do!"


	19. Chapter 19

Thousands of miniature needles pricked at my body, sending waves of white hot pain coursing through my body, scolding every inch off me it reached. A heavy, uncomfortable fog had settled in my mind; exerting excruciating levels of pain on my fragile brain. My heart pounded so loudly against my chest, I thought it was about to leap out of my body and desert me as my mother and father had. Images of past memories flickered across my mind as if they were being projected in a cinema. My life fluttered by, a small documentary on everything that had ever happened to me. The only problem was I didn't understand any of the memories. I understood they all belonged to me and that they were all fragments of my own personal history however my brain could not connect anything, could not make sense of it. It was if I was in another's body watching their life, not my own. Something was missing, something vital. What was that? Maybe if I can focus on something, anything and I could potentially make this problem evaporate. Out of nowhere I could feel my mind being pulled harshly into one of the still images, submerging every thought, every sense and every action into its fiery abyss.

 _A warm haze had settled over the peaceful valley engulfing everything into it's midsts. The sun's pleasant warmth beat down on my back sending calming waves rippling through my body. I could feel myself drifting into a relaxing slumber. Jade fields sprawled for miles before being swallowed by the horizon. Miniature, emerald trees were scattered across the fields, small brown tracks streaked across the fields and even tinier animals grazed among the hills. Birds chirped away in the background as the thrum of life echoed throughout the valley. I would always come to this place to clear my mind after fights with my family; I loved how tranquil the valleys were. It was as if nothing could disturb you not even time.  
"Eren? Eren! What are you doing out so late?" A voice scolded from behind me but I didn't care. Nothing could ruin the mellow buzz that rooted itself in my body. I lazily glanced over to where the voice had come from. My peaceful atmosphere was abruptly shattered as the sight of my distraught, panicked mother came into view. I hadn't meant to make her worry, I thought she knew where I was going. I always come here. I thought it was obvious.  
"Mum? What's wrong?" I asked, surprise clear as day in my tone.  
"What's wrong?" She said with a dry laugh. "What's wrong is that you've been gone four 4 hours Eren! I was worried. I thought something had happened to you! Didn't you think to come and check in with us?" She said, her bright, leaf green eyes brimming with tears. Guilt soared throughout my body, attacking every last patch of the happiness I had been feeling earlier; ripping it to shreds like a feral guard dog.  
"I'm sorry, Mum. I must've lost track of time. It's just so wonderful here, I never want to leave" I explained, running a hand through my long, chocolate locks sheepishly. She sighed discontentedly and sank to the floor next to me.  
"I know Eren. I used to visit here often when my family came down for our summer holidays. In fact, that's how I met your father. I could sit out here for the best part of a day and still never want to leave." She agreed, a misty quality infecting her voice as she remembered her youth.  
"Can we stay here forever mum?" I asked, wide eyed and hopeful. A wide smile graced her face before her petite forehead creased in a frown.  
"Eren as much as I'd love for you to stay, I'm afraid it's just not possible" She sighed conflicted.  
"I don't want to go back. The house is always stuffy and awkward after a fight with Mikasa. I don't think I'm ready for the daggers yet!" I laughed, picking at the daisies which littered the lushious grass around my feet.  
"I understand Eren but sometimes you need to get on with it and fight for what you believe in, no matter the consequences. It's better to lose fighting to change the corrupt then to never attempt to remove it from the world at all. It's taken me so long to realise that, only when I did it was too late. Please, for heaven sake Eren, please don't make the same mistakes I did. There's so much at stake that you aren't even aware off." She rambled regretfully. She stared at the horizon, a dazed expression plastered across her face. What was wrong with her? Where had that come from? What did she mean?  
"What do you mean, mum? It's only a fight with Mikasa. Not the end of the world." I asked, confused.  
"It may not make sense now Eren but when the time comes everything will become clear" She said ominously. Why was she talking like this? This wasn't like my mother... Come to think of it, my mother was dead. But how could she be? She's right next to me. My surroundings flickered as if they were disappearing only to remain in place.  
"You need to go Eren. They need you! He needs you!" My mother urged as if she was desperate to be rid of me. Who needs me? Who's he? What's going on? _

_And then it hit me. I was in the middle of fighting a rebellion against Sina. My faction needed me, the Scouts needed me and Mikasa and Armin needed me. I need to wake up. No, I have to wake up. Its imperative in our success that I help lead them. Am I missing something? I feel as if a huge chunk of my present day life was missing. Streaks of images filtered across my mind of a raven haired beauty. The Scout's one and only Captain Levi. My boyfriend. My mothers expectant face stared at me as if she was waiting for me to disappear before her eyes.  
"Do you remember everything now?" She asked.  
"Yes" I replied back, treasuring the fact that I could now recall ever aspect of my own life.  
"That's amazing Eren. I'm glad. I really hope you achieve your goals baby. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." She smiled as she placed a hand on my cheek, running her thumb over the apple of my cheek. "I love you Eren" She simpered as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
"I love you t-_

A loud gasp rang through the eerily silent hospital ward as I shot upright in my bed. Memories of my mother fresh in my mind and the realization that I hadn't been able to apologize to her for everything I put her through before her death. I didn't even get to finish telling her that I loved her. I was a failure of a daughter for both my parents. Maybe that's why they were both taken from me. My eyes flittered around the ward, taking in my surroundings. I didn't like it in here. It was to clean, to sterile. Where was everyone? The plush purple chair beside me was empty however there was a green cloak slung over the arm of the chair. I reached over to grab the cloak, almost falling out of the cramped hospital bed. I brought the cloak up to my nose, careful not to rip the IV out of my slender wrists. Inhaling deeply, I tried to place where I'd smelt this before. Crisp apple, warm cinnamon, a subtle hint of vanilla and the underlying stench of disinfectant. This was Levi's. Where was he now though?

Footsteps clacked around the corner, gradually growing louder as they approached my bed. The rich, red curtain that hung limply in front of the foot of my bed was ripped open unleashing a flood of sunlight upon me which temporarily blinded me. Squinting, I could make out the silhouette of a person however I still couldn't figure out the identity imposter.  
"Eren?" A deep voice hesitantly called out. The person approached the side of the bed, stepping out of the direct source of light. As the light subsided, a mess of cropped, jet black hair emerged. Steely blue eyes peered into my own, joy flooding every inch of the pools of blue. _It was Levi!_  
"Eren! Are you really awake?" Levi cried, striding to stand as close as he possibly could.  
"Um... I think so?" I croaked out in response. How long had I been out for? I knew I had awoken before with memory loss and I was in that coma for several months. How long had this one lasted?  
"We didn't think you were going to pull through this time" He admitted. I glanced up at the usually expressionless man, sorrow and heartbreak were etched upon his face.  
"Come here" I commanded, gesturing for him to come in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around me securely as if he never wanted to let me go again. I wound my arms around his neck and rested my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the comforting aroma that wafted off of him. I felt the shoulder of my T-Shirt grow damp as the hug drew on and I could only comfort the emotionally fragile man.  
"Oh Eren, we have so much to catch up on. I love you so much"


	20. Chapter 20

Blaring light cut through the fragile window pane splitting the beams into miniature, dainty rainbow and scattering them haphazardly across the desk I was currently slouched over. The atmosphere in the room currently was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The tension was so suffocating, I felt as if I would be drawn back into the coma I had tried so hard to escape. What was the cause of this? Annoyance, dislike and anger was radiating in poisonous tendril off of the small, raven haired man stood by the door, arms crossed. All of Levi's bitterness was of course aimed at Commander Erwin. This was the first time since my injury Levi had allowed him to come anywhere near me and even now he couldn't stand the idea of us being in the same room together. But this was necessary, with only three days left until we launched Operation take back Hircea, I needed to be filled in and given my role. Erwin had to be the one to do that. Tick, tick, tick. The clocked rang through the silence reminding everyone present of the impending doom that awaited us. The heavy, oak door swung open, crashing into the wall besides it and Hanji strutted in with a wide beam plastered across her face.

"Hello everyone! Sorry I'm late but I had pressing scientific matters to attend to!" She exclaimed, winking at Erwin. A grim frown settled upon his face as he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now that everyone is present, shall we begin?" Erwin asked rhetorically as he approached the whiteboard that was positioned at the front of the room with predawn diagrams displayed on its crisp white surface **.** "As we all know in three days' time Operation take back Hircea will commence and it's of upmost importance that this operation is successful. It's a matter of life or death. Not only do we gain independence from the faction known as Sina but we will be able to prevent the faction leader from releasing a deadly virus as 'population control'. Over the past 9 months we have been able to successfully prepare as much as we can. We've had over 1,500 new recruits joining Maria and 250 new recruits joining the Scout regiment. This gives us a significant advantage over Sina as our numbers outreach theirs by hundreds. As we all know numbers are the best way to win a war of this type." Erwin explained, gesturing to the numbers written largely across the whiteboard. A loud scoff echoed throughout the room, dozens of eyes flicked over to where Levi was leaning against the door.

"Is there something you care to add, Captain?" Erwin questioned, raising his eyebrow with discontent.

"Numbers isn't the best way to win Erwin. Don't be ridiculous. I hope you haven't based our tactics on that or there's no point even attempting this operation" He scoffed, bitterness laced into his tone.

"No, of course it's our only tactic. Why do you think we got both you and Mikasa to train every recruit, new and old? Of course we know that there is strength in numbers but that strength is only most useful with highly trained, knowledgeable cadets. Levi, I'm ashamed of your conduct in this meeting. Please keep your personal feelings to yourself and try to remain professional for the rest of the duration of this important meeting. Unless you can keep a professional conduct, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to vacate this room, Captain Levi." Erwin scolded, reprimanding Levi's childish antics. "Does anyone have any questions so far?" Erwin asked, as his eyes scanned the bewildered scouts who were clustered around a large ebony table positioned centrally in the cramped, temporary meeting hub. A hand shot up amongst the crowd of soldiers, a determined look on the girls face. Erwin nodded at the girl, acknowledging her. The crimson haired girl slowly raised herself out of her seat and stood to attention; out of respect for her commander,

"I don't mean any disrespect by asking this question but I think it's of vital importance you tell us the answer, Commander Erwin. How many of us do you expect to die as a result of this mission? How many of us have to give our lives in order for this operation – which odds are already against us, might I add – to even have a slither of a chance of succeeding. What is the estimated death toll of the operation?" She hurriedly question, her voice full of compassion for her fellow comrades and their fatal.

"What is your name cadet?" Erwin queried, pinching the bridge of his noise in thought.

"Magnolia. Isobel Magnolia" She replied hastily, anxiety laced into her tone, entwining her most private feelings with the outside world.

"Cadet Magnolia, as your Commander I am supposed to lie to you. To tell you, to tell the entire of my subordinates that the operation will be a success, that the death toll will be minimum if none existent for our parties. I am required to lie to you in order to keep you all docile and cooperative. I just can't do that. What I'm leading you into is the equivalent of leading the lambs to the slaughter. The losses from this battle, no this war, will be immense, indescribable and more importantly devastating. By helping Maria and the Scouts fight for Hircea's freedom you would most likely give your own life for the cause. I hope you were aware of this when we recruited you. I would rather give my own life fighting for the freedom of this once great nature so future generations are able to live prosperous lives than force them to suffer through what we have because of my own cowardice. Anyone who does not want to give their life is welcome to leave before the battle but once it commences you will be shot for cowardice. It is still a war crime after all." Erwin explained with a grim expression stretched across his face. An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room; its harsh, uninviting presence drained the life out of the room. Shifting in my seat, I felt as if I should say something to comfort the ever fearful soldiers but I couldn't force the words out, I couldn't lie to my comrades. It wasn't going to be ok. We all knew that.

"Commander?" I softly asked; every set of eyes in the room flicked over to where I sat. Each face held an expression of confusion but mostly hope as if they were praying that I'd be able to say something that would make everything better; as if I would be telling them that this was all a joke and that there would be no battle.

"Yes, Commander Yeager?" Erwin questioned, his eyebrow arched in a demanding fashion,

"I mean no disrespect sir by announcing this as I know how vital honesty is when informing your subordinates of a mission which is practically a suicide mission however I believe you have gone about it the wrong way. Our job isn't to control, command and make our soldiers fear the very job they once loved doing. No, we need to inform them of how dire the situation is in an inspiring manner; one that will entice them to fight as if there is no tomorrow. Unfortunately it is too late now, for these men at least so I give you this advice for next time. I believe this mission will be a success, with heavy casualties of course, but a success none the less. Can you continue with the information and quit dwelling on the negatives, I believe it's bringing the morale down" I explained, finishing my short speech with a quip of humour that went unnoticed in the deathly silent room. Erwin's face scrunched up in a scowl as he interpreted what I had said. I didn't mean any of it in a harsh way nor was I judging his leadership skills. I was only concerned with the mental and emotional wellbeing of those gathered around us. Being told you were going to have to fight in a war that your team had a better chance of losing in probably had the same effect of being told you were getting the death penalty.

Erwin coughed loudly, clearing his throat. The noise was so sudden it was as if a volcano had erupted and the echoes were the lava flowing rapidly, unstoppably and devastatingly down the peaceful countryside wreaking havoc in its wake. "Thank you for your advice Commander Yeager" He said icily, bitterness seeping through his polite façade. "Cadet Arelet has painstakingly and meticulously run through the plans and tactics we have for this battle. Every small, fine detail has been thought about, adapted a couple hundred times and practised by our finest soldiers as a test practise. You should not worry about what we are going to do when we get there, all you need to worry about is learning and performing your part and you should be fine. It's a well-oiled machine by this point, and I'll be darned if I say it, I think it's practically perfect…

Hours seemed to drain away as if they were sand passing through a 10 second egg timer. Erwin's deep, grainy voice droned on eternally, drowning all those present in its tedious tendrils. My eyes grew heavy as every second passed, inviting me into a welcoming slumber. When would this meeting end? I thought he said this would be a quick debriefing but I guess that wouldn't be the first time he's lied to us. I wonder how this would have gone if I had been awake to help plan. Had they missed something? I mean it was Armin's handiwork so I highly doubt it. But what if they have missed something crucial? Who am I kidding? I would have messed something up entirely if I had been allowed to help, I'm too brash, and I don't think enough. It's a wonder I'm even a leader at all.

"We begin our attack tomorrow. Two weeks early" Erwin's loud, grating voice smashed through my thoughts. It was beginning tomorrow?

 **Authors Note**

 **Hey everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter took ages to write, I've been super busy at the moment. I've just had my year 10 GCSE's, my music lessons have started and I've just been to Germany where I had no wifi. In addition to this, I've had no wifi for a month as our router died XD. I hope you guys are still interested in this story and please could you leave a review on what you think? It means the world to me as i want to be an author when I can get a job and I want to know what people think of my work.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I hope you're enjoying it so far and stay tuned (?) for the upcoming chapters :D**

 **\- Rosie**


	21. Chapter 21

Darkness enveloped my senses, isolating me inside my own mind. Floating. The sensation of floating overcame me, plummeting me into a spiral of confusion. I tried to get a handle on the situation I had found myself in but it was like grasping for straws, finding nothing but murky, lifeless darkness. Where was I? It felt like I was at the bottom of the ocean, but I couldn't be… how would I have gotten there? Pushing myself upwards, I found myself gaining memento and quickly rising up to the surface. How had I not realised I was under the sea? Pain shot through my chest, piercing every inch of my being as my airways constricted running out of air as quickly as a deflating balloon. Where was the surface?

After what seemed like minutes, the darkness subsided and a dim light began infecting the waters around me. Just a little further… My vision began blurring as my chest grew tighter at every passing second. I was going to die if I couldn't find the surface soon. Suddenly I emerged out of the unforgiving depths. Audibly gasping, I sucked in air as if it was going out of fashion. Fire. Death. Destruction. What happened? The mission was supposed to be a success on our part, was it not? Dozens of cold, lifeless bodies were strewn over the scenic, picturesque, cobbled streets of the capital staining the shiny, grey stones crimson with their life. The scene was truly grotesque, blood spattered everywhere the eye could see, limbs lying haphazardly across the streets and grossly mutilated bodies piled up, so damaged they no longer looked human. Amber flames danced the dance of death in the horizon casting warm glows throughout the harbour, a cruel welcoming to those arriving into the torment. The warmth of the flames inviting passers-by into their grip and their embers covered up the tale of destruction that lay within them.

A crystal tear escaped, leaving a sorrowful streak down my cheek. How had we strayed so far of the aim of the mission? How was the result of months of careful, strategic planning this scene that looked like a snapshot from the brochure for what could only be described as hell. Out of the corner of my eyes, something horrifically familiar stuck out like a jagged, broken but of glass. An outcrop of raven black hair contrasted against the bright off white stone path which had streaks of scarlet red blood spattered in every direction from the black…

Frantically, I began swimming towards the shore, towards the mayhem and towards the strangely familiar wave of black. My head felt heavy with dread as I trudged through the shallow water on to the once golden stretch of sand which had become dirtied in the calamity which had taken place not so long ago. I stumbled towards the stone path which leads to the castle. Fear began planting its infectious seed, decimating every rational thought I might off once had. Sinking to my knees, I slowly reached to pick up the mop of black that was leant against the wall. I knotted my fingers into the silky black locks and lifted it so I could see what it was. Was it just my imagination? Was it just a piece of cloth? Or was it something more sinister? I could barely bring myself to look at the lump I held in my hands, it was far too heavy just to be a piece of cloth. Gulping, I opened my eyes to see what I held in my hands. I instantly regretted it.

Two piercing blue eyes stared back at me however they weren't like how I remembered them … These were lifeless, completely void of emotion. They looked so out of place on his handsome face. His lips had become grey as if he had received the kiss of death and his very soul had been sucked from him. A brilliant line of crimson laced the disgustingly torn flesh that hung of the edge of his neck. This wasn't a painless death. This was brutally inhumane act of war. Beheading wasn't usually a way you'd kill your enemy, it's too inconvenient. What had happened to him? I brought the head to my chest and let out an ear splitting screech. My small frame became racked with uncontrollable, heart wrenching sobs. He was gone… My Levi, one of the elites, was no more…

"Eren? Please wake up! It's just a dream!" A voice called in the background, cutting through my slumber. I could feel myself being shaken repeatedly in an attempt to get me to regain my consciousness. My eyes shot open, panic surging through me. Images of my dream flashed through mind; they were so vivid it was as if I had lived through them myself. It was a dream? Was it not? Tears began trailing down my cheeks, splashing on to my arm as I scanned the room for Levi. Where was he?

"Eren, can you hear me?" The voice asked again. Where was it coming from? My eyes flew to the location of the voice. Levi! There he was kneeling beside my bed, holding my hand in a fruitless attempt to comfort me. I can't even describe how much of a relief it is to see him now. It was all a dream! A bright smile stretched across my face as it all processed in my slightly dense brain.

"You're alive" I laughed, lunging out of the bed and lacing my arms around his neck. I pushed my face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of everything that was Levi. His arms looped around my waist, pulling me closer to him, hoping to calm me down, even in the slightest.

"Why wouldn't I be? The fight hasn't started yet" He asked, confusion apparent in his tone. Was it worth telling him?

"Never mind" I smiled, softly shaking my head. I didn't have the heart tell him. There was only two ways it would go; one, I'd never live it down once this was over and done with or two, he'd be over sympathetic and protective for months on end. And in all honesty, I wanted neither of these things to happen. A scowl carved its way on to his porcelain face, emphasising the distaste he felt at my response.

"Eren, you can't start crying and screaming in your sleep and then not tell me why that was! You have no idea how worried I was! I thought something terrible had happened. How can you not tell me?" Levi growled, his facial features softening slightly but not losing the annoyed expression. His face relaxed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he was deep in thought. Letting out a loud, audible sigh, he smiled brightly at me. "You may not want to tell me now but we will talk about this later. Come on and try and get back to sleep. We have six hours until the battle begins" He said calmly, rubbing his hand soothingly in small circles on the small of my back. He helped me climb back into my luxurious double bed and tucked me lovingly in.  
"Sleep tight princess" He whispered in my ear before kissing my forehead and turning to leave my bedroom.  
"Levi?" I asked, softly. He turned to look at me, a questioning, worried look on my face.  
"Yes?" He questioned, raising his eyebrow suspiciously.  
"Would you be able to stay with me, just for tonight? I don't think I'll be able to sleep again tonight if there isn't anyone else here" I bashfully said, hoping he would agree without asking any questions. A cheeky smirk crossed his face as he registered what I had just asked him to do. I could only imagine what was going through his head at this particular moment in time.  
"Hey! I didn't mean it like that, you pervert!" I exclaimed, pulling the covers tighter in attempt to conceal myself and my embarrassment. He gave me a toothy grin and let out a light chuckle.  
"I'm well aware of that Eren. I can stay if you really want me to" He agreed, amusement intertwined with every word he spoke.  
"I'd really appreciate if you could" I warmly smiled at him. He nodded in acknowledgement of what I had just said and strode over to the other side of the bed. The mattress sank swiftly as he made himself comfortable. A slender arm slung itself over my waist and pulled me into the warmth of his chest. I exhaled contently. I was sure the dreams would be kept at bay now I had my knight to ward of the negativity. I sank into a comfortable slumber almost unaware of how immanent, serious and dangerous the battle to end all battle which was rapidly approaching us head on was. It was almost as if we lived in an alternative reality where none of that was happening and that itself was the dream….

 **SIX HOURS REMAINING**


	22. Chapter 22

Six hours remaining, those same words echoed, non-stop, rattling through my mind like a swarm of furious hornets. After the final meeting debriefing us about the attack, instructing us what part of the plan each unit was going to execute, the Commander instructed us that we should all take these remaining hours to rejuvenate and use as leisure hours. I think he really meant that we should all head to the barracks to get some rest, a tired soldier is a soldier asking for the angel of death to take them into her arms. But how could I rest? How could I sleep easy knowing that in only six hours we'd be forcing countless soldiers to die for us? How many of our comrades would we lose tomorrow? Is it worth it?

Staring at the ceiling, I sighed as my thoughts grew and developed becoming over whelming and overcrowding my mind with 'what ifs' and all the negative things that could be the outcome of this battle. I need to find something to occupy my mind with… I glanced over at the nearly empty bookshelf which its large mahogany frame filled the entirety of the wall opposite me. There was roughly only about 10 books on the first shelf, this made the impressive grandeur of the bookshelf seem completely pointless and ridiculous. I couldn't read any of these books either because whilst I was recovering I'd read almost each book three times over. This was the joy of being a book loving, fast reader in a world where the supply is depleted and miniscule. I'm definitely making the new government focus on bringing more literacy material for the public if we win.

A loud knock echoed throughout the silent room. Who would be calling at this hour? I groaned as I rolled myself out of the bed, smoothing down my nightdress and sliding on my fluffy dressing gown. I opened the door to find a rather dishevelled looking Levi. His always perfectly styled, raven hair was messily sticking out at every possible angle it could and he had dark circles underneath his beautiful steely blue eyes, making his flawless, pale skin look even paler, almost unnaturally pale.

"Can I help you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in suspicion. Why had he come here? Levi never stops by for a social visit…

"I wanted to talk. I imagine you are in the same situation as me at this current moment in time" He said hopefully. Surprise shot through my body like a white hot missile. What had gotten him into a state that he needed to find solace in the company of others, let alone me?

"About what? What situation are we supposedly in? I mean I'm perfectly fine and enjoying my leisure hours" I asked, concerned for the proud, stoic corporal.

"I'm finding the whole situation a little overwhelming. I mean in the terms of the sheer number of people we, higher ranking officials are sending to their deaths like lambs to the slaughter. I would like to talk to someone in a similar position to me and I thought you would be the easiest for me to talk to. If you are busy, I will go find Hanji" Levi explained his predicament in more detail then he usually would. As you could probably tell, he wasn't the most open and vocal about how he was feeling unless the situation was dire or personal.

"Of course you can talk to me. Do you want to come in or go somewhere else?" I asked smiling warmly at him, hoping that if I acted welcomingly then he would open up more to me and that I would finally be able to learn more about the man that had captured my hearts interest.

"Here is fine" He said, giving a small smile back as he entered my room. I closed the wooden door behind me, turning to find him awkwardly perched on the edge of my bed. Every room in the officer's barracks has a disgustingly ugly, burnt orange, leather sofa to the left of the large French windows which opened on the decking overlooking the large, clear pond that stretched to the horizons. This base used to be used to test submarines for the war to end wars, it's amazing it still survived all this time in all honesty…

"What did you want to talk about?" I questioned, settling myself down on the soft queen sized bed which served as the centre piece of my room. Like the bookshelf the bed was a work of art. It had four, richly engraved mahogany posts which had lions heads engraved in to the top of each post. Between each post hung a beautiful, silky cream curtain which fell like water cascading from a waterfall. I had drawn the curtains but usually when they were drawn and the sun was shining through the windows it would create a rainbow on the rich, dark wood floor. These rooms seem a little too fancy to be in a military base but Erwin had explained that all Hana officer barracks are identical to this.

"I hadn't actually thought about that. Anything you want really… I just wanted to see you" He said sheepishly, looking at the floor in embarrassment. Was I hearing him right? He wanted to see me? At 3 in the morning? My heart did little summersaults in response to his words, I'm a lucky girl.

"Um… you're going to have to be a little more specific than that, Levi. I could talk at you about anything for hours and bore the socks of you. Are you sure you want that?" I said jokingly with a hint of truth laced in the undertones of my words. His eyes widened in panic at my words, he obviously was not keen for that to happen as he was not one to like small talk.

"I think that might actually be counterproductive… Tell me about your life before all of this. When your mother was still alive and well. I want to understand the character of Eren Yeager and what made her like this…" Levi said with a commanding tone. Why did he want to know more about my life before now? I don't think I can even remember that much now, too much has happened.

"If you insist but I'm not sure I remember much if I'm honest with you…" I said, embarrassment seeping into my tone. Who can't remember their own past? I'm a joke.

"That's fine. Just tell me what you can remember or what you feel comfortable telling me" He said smiling at me in a comforting manner.

"Well before my mother became ill life was perfect. We were one of the wealthier families as my father was a well-respected doctor. My mother was my favourite person, my best friend even. Sorry Mikasa and Armin but you can never beat her. We were creating a sanctuary for people to come to get away from all of the problems of daily lives. Where you could go to be one with nature. It had dozens of beautiful cherry blossoms trees which every spring scattered their gorgeous pink petals across the perfectly manicured lawn. It looked like someone had dropped a mixture of icing and confetti all over the floor. We'd come and sit under the trees and sit for hours, sometimes until it grew dark just talking about life and to escape the controlling atmosphere of our home. Although we built the garden for the community, deep down we knew it was for ourselves. My father wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around and that only worsened when mother became sick. I wish she was still here, she's know what to do with the conflict. She'd be able to give useful advice and she'd be better at comforting the troops. She'd do a much better job than I have." I paused, thinking of the beautiful women my mother had been and deeply wishing that I'd been able to heal her; to save this gem of a human. A fat, salty tear rolled down my face as I recalled the childhood I'd tried so hard to forget, it was my biggest weakness after all.

"You don't have to carry on if you don't want to" Levi said, his voice piercing through the darkness of my emotions that had wrap themselves tightly around my person. He was a ray of light in the swamp of crap that had become my life recently.

"No, no. I'll be fine .The more I talk about the easier it gets" I smiled weakly at him as I tried to wipe up and stop the tears that had begun freely falling effortlessly to the floor. And we carried on throughout the night, exchanging humorous stories of our childhoods and the people we loved dearly but to my dismay he only told me things that didn't have much depth to them or things about his time in the military which I already had an idea on what that was like. I was grateful he had chosen to share any information but it was still devastating.

I looked up at the clock that hung limply on the wall above my bed. How was it already 5 in the morning? Less than three hours to go until the operation begins.

"Can you believe its five in the morning?" I asked, the shock still in my own voice.

"Really? I guess I should get going so you can get at least an hours sleep" He laughed, getting up to go.

"Thank you for tonight Levi. It was fun" I said warmly, a bright smile plastered across my face.

"I enjoyed it to. I guess I'll see you at the hill tomorrow then?" He smiled resting his forehead on my own, his arms tightly looped around my waist.

"Yeah. Try not to think about the things that could go wrong and get some sleep. You need to be fully rested in order to perform your best tomorrow. Don't go getting yourself killed" I laughed, semi giving the commander a lecture even though he'd been a soldier far longer than I had been one.

"The same goes for you Commander Yeager" He shot back, laughing at my words. His face softened and he looked me straight in the eye, a serious look flooding the blue depths with a hint of something I knew I had in my own.

"I love you Eren" He breathed kissing my forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck" And with those words he was gone, I felt as if my heart was about to burst, he feels the same. The strongest soldier on earth loves me, me of all people.

"I love you to, Levi" I said to the empty room which was silent but filled with the promises of tomorrow.

 **3 HOURS REMAINING**


	23. Chapter 23

Dazzling sunlight streaked through the sprawling, emerald hills which were littered with dozens of what seemed like miniature, toy trees. The wind whipped through my hair as I overlooked the acres of wild, untamed forest that lay beneath me. Two razor sharp, lethal swords hung tightly around my waist as if it was a python and I was its petrified prey. In all honesty, I was about as scared as that mouse. Behind me, hundreds of fellow comrades stood proudly in their formation. Rows and rows, lines and lines, battalion after battalion, soldiers stood expectantly as they waited to receive their orders for their superiors. They were told it would be more than likely that we would win; that this would be over in a matter of hours and that once this was finished they'd be returning home with most, if not all of their friends. How they were wrong. Was lying to them the right thing to do? In my opinion, no, it was selfish and unprofessional. We owed it to the cadets to be truthful as they were laying down their lives for us. Erwin had explained that if we told the soldiers that we were going to win, it would boost morale and a higher morale meant they would fight harder. I couldn't look at any of their eager faces without the guilt making me feel sick to my stomach.  
"Hey." A deep, velvety voice flooded my ears replacing the sounds of heavy leather boots crunching on the gravelly soil beneath our feet and the wind whistling through the valley.  
"Hey" I replied, training my eyes on the scenery before me instead of the speaker, I needed to keep myself strong and composed in front of the troops. I didn't need to cause unnecessary panic amongst the company.  
"What's on your mind?" He asked, concern lacing his voice. I had no idea how on earth I could answer that question. My mind was a barren wasteland; void of thought whilst being a train wreck of everything that could go wrong during the war we'd be raging in less than an hour. Unable to answer, I let out a weird, strangled laugh. Large hands clamped down on my slender wrists pulling me gently to face him. The breath caught in my throat as my eyes captured his profile. The rays of light shone on his usually steely grey-blue eyes, illuminating them to a jaw-droppingly gorgeous electric turquoise colour. The blue of his eyes created a magnificent contrast between his flawless porcelain skin and the thick ebony locks of his undercut. His fringe trailed down the sides of his sculpted face, framing his face like a work of art.  
"Eren, don't bottle up your worries, especially not before a battle. You can tell me, I promise I won't laugh at you" Levi attempted to comfort me, stroking small circles on the insides of my wrist.  
But nothing could quell the raging storms that brewed in my mind. What were we fighting for? Liberty, equality and freedom. At what cost do we achieve these things though? The deaths of countless soldiers, citizens and their sanity. Is it worth their deaths? What if freeing the people from this tyrant of a ruler only creates an even more unjust society in which they are forced to live of their miserable lives? I can't live with that result. My conscience can't live with that result. What if what we're living now is as good as it gets for us? A consequence of making the mistakes the human race had in the war to end all wars.  
"What if this mission fails? What if the outcome of this mission is worse than what we already have? What if all of these people die for nothing? What will that make us? Monsters or Heroes?" I mumbled weakly, barely audible even to myself.  
"Eren you can't think like that! You need to be strong, for the soldiers in your command, for the people you're fighting this war for and for…. For me" Levi exclaimed, his eyebrows rose in surprise at the sudden pessimistic questions that sliced through the air like a silver arrow. Never have I taken a defeatist attitude but now with the conflict looming over our heads, striking in less than an hour, waves and waves of 'what ifs' crashed through my mind. Their poisonous roots digging themselves deeper in to my venerable mind, tainting everything with their horrific presence.  
"What if it happens though Levi? How can I live with myself knowing I'm to blame for this tragedy that's about to crash into society like a tidal wave of ruin?" I cried, emotion leeching into my words, showing how weak I had become to the world around me. What a laughing stock I'd become. Ironic isn't it? I used to be known as the leader of the strongest anti-Hana government organisations and now I can't even speak words in defiance to them. How had I fallen this far; fallen completely, irreversibly, drastically from grace? If there was ever such a thing.  
"You can't think about the 'what ifs'. If you let them cloud your vision you'll never achieve what you want in life. You can see with your own eyes what a plague on the earth the faction of Hana are, why are you suggesting we don't go through with the rebellion when you know full well that they are the scum of this world. With someone else in power and a non-corrupt voting system the people of this world will have a much better, productive and rewarding life. How dare you even suggest that freeing them will make everything much worse! We've already hit rock bottom how can anything get worse? Clear your mind Commander Rochester or you won't be fit to lead your soldiers into battle in 20 minutes" Levi reprimanded me, reminding me of just how bad the situation had gotten. How could I even think it would be worse than it is now? Hana force children under the age of 14 to work to support their families even though child labour is technically illegal. They withhold lifesaving treatment for people without a reason – they call it population control when in reality it's just about asserting their power over the venerable. They don't care about the people, they only care about lining their own pockets with the gold they've stolen and exploited from the people who really need it. This needs to end.  
Determination alongside adrenalin shot through my veins as if they were racing each other to some kind of finish line. That finish line being the fall of Hana. Defiance flared in my eyes signalling to those who looked how ready I was to defeat the Hana scum. Maria will reign victorious, for the people, for the country and for the future.  
"Thank you Levi. I appreciate the pep talk. I don't know what has gotten in to me. We cannot afford for Hana to remain in power. There's too much to risk from that consequence. We have to fight because if we don't, who will fight for justice in our place? No one! They are all too scared. If we die, we die, it was fated to be that way. At least the soldiers will give their life on a shred of hope that they will change the way society runs for future generations. It will be bloody but it will be worth it." I smiled as I gave my enthusiastic speech which earned cheers from soldiers standing in rows behind me. I hadn't realised how loud I had gotten but it clearly had an effect on boosting the morale of those who are giving their lives for my cause. I turned to face my brave comrades standing below me; I need to thank them for their service. It may be my last chance to.  
"Fellow soldiers, I have a few words to say before I send you of into the battle which may claim your life. I am so proud of you all, of your sacrifice, your efforts when I was not there to guide you and of course how much each and every one of you had improved during the training that you've been undertaking to prepare for this humongous task. I'm grateful that you have seen just how import the cause we will potentially be giving our lives for today is and I'm extremely grateful that you have chosen to carry on with our fight know full well what the consequences are. Each one of you is of vital importance when it comes to this fight. Each sacrifice will get us one step closer to victory, to freedom. And no, I'm not asking you to die for me so please tread carefully when this battle begins. We want each and every one of you to experience this new world we are crafting together. It breaks my heart that we are sending you off on what appears to be a textbook suicide mission. I'm truly sorry for that and my heart already grieves for the comrades who will fall today. So once again I thank and salute you for your sacrifice; there are no words which can express our – well at least my appreciation. Fight hard troops, fight for your life, for your freedom, for our future. Even if it looks bleak, fight. There's no victory without struggle. Thank you for your time cadets" I finished with a bow, a loud roar of applause and cheering ripped across the once so silent you would be able to hear a pin drop. A proud smile stretched across my face as I realised just how motivated the soldiers had become after my ridiculous, over emotional speech.  
A loud crackling rang out, cutting through the deafening cheers as if they were Swiss cheese. Dozens of eyes flickered around the court yard in a panic rush, trying to find the source of the crackling. A visible sigh of relief rippled across the courtyard in a domino effect.  
"Ladies and gentlemen would you please prepare yourself to leave for the city. Operation Take Back Hircea is now underway"

 **30 MINUTES REMAINING**


	24. Chapter 24

Poppies danced in the breeze, scattered amongst the emerald fields like tiny jewels lost in the shards of unkempt grass. Fields sprawled haphazardly for miles, stretching in every direction. Silence hung heavy like a dead weight upon my unit as we charged forward on our steads. The thudding sound of hooves almost deafening. No one wanted to say anything. What could you say to a group of people racked with nerves as they were forced into a situation which was practically suicide. A large, ominous forest grew from the horizon, the branches enlarging as we approached. Thick, green foliage hid the once brilliant blue sky from our prying eyes. A dirty, stone path looped throughout the trees, disappearing and later reappearing miles ahead of us as if were playing hide and seek with the soldiers. A thick oak root ripped through the stone path as if it were paper, leaving jagged slabs of unforgiving shards of stones. I gulped as we rode deeper into the forest; the stones fate reminding me that we could share fates with those forgotten stones. This mission is all or nothing; we will all die as traitors if we lose. I can't allow this to happen; the fate of humanity depends on us.

As we rode deeper into the forest, my thoughts consumed me. Images of soldiers scattered upon the bloodstained battleground and mutilated flesh flashed before my eyes, worming its poisonous tendrils into my already sick with worry mind. I felt disgusted with the mission, I was commanding; why does the cost of freedom have such a heavy toll on those who fight for it? Wasn't that the cause the pre – war civilians were fighting for? Our horses pushed on, nearing the city walls which we were soon to besiege. The dirty stone path began to fade into a polished, gleaming, bright grey path that lead up to ornate, gold embellished, wrought iron gates. The gates were a bizarre entrance to the capital. Inside of the fancy entrance was the opposite. Of course, there was the small, rich districts where the politicians and the business men lived but other than that the city was rife with ghettos and half dilapidated houses. Poverty was a plague that has latched onto the once blooming and prosperous city of New Berlin and sucked the happiness out of the place. The poor had nothing and those who were lucky enough to have something only had the means to survive. Only the rich 2% of the city could afford to have the luxuries. This is what we were fighting to change. I remember walking though the vile, dirty streets when I was younger, seeing the tired, sick faces of the poor as they tried to carry on with their life; if you could call their existence a life. People weren't born to survive; they were born to make something with their life. To build and create, to make things better for those who live in this world. There is only one problem with people and the human race itself. They are sick with greed; people only care about what they can get for themselves no matter what they use to get the thing they desire or the people they hurt in an attempt to obtain their desired thing. It's these very attributes that caused the war to end all wars; the very war that created Hircea. Of course, this is just human nature and I guess that will never change but I can still dream.

Arriving at the city walls, I took in a deep breath trying to mentally prepare myself for the torment that was soon to follow. Dear God, if you haven't abandoned us by now, please give us strength and help avoid the needless deaths of so many. Please help us. I silently prayed; I'm not usually a religious person but at times like this I feel faith is the best tool to help guide us through the pain and suffering. I dismounted my horse; a beautiful chocolate brown mare with a silky, soft flowing mane. She was gorgeous and I'm glad she doesn't have to endure the fight that was looming in the near future. One less needless casualty. I secured my tool belt to my waist, ensuring that it would not become loose during the fight because that would be disastrous and that would probably result in my death. Turning to the soldiers which had gathered in formation behind me, waiting for their final commands before the mission went underway.

"Soldiers, this is it. The final frontier! For which there is no return for some of you. However, do not fear. Your efforts and your contributions are vital and highly valued in this operation however if you end up succumbing to this fight then you need to know your life will not be wasted; I will not let that happen! In fact, I refuse to let that happen! Soldiers I am grateful in your support for this cause and now I wish to confirm you understand your roles. Squads 1,2,3 and 4 will liberate and take out the army barracks located throughout the city, squads 5,7 and 9 will follow the elite squad which includes myself, Captain Levi, Lieutenant Hanji and Private Mikasa to infiltrate and capture the castle which is their main centre of operation. Strike at the heart of the machine and the rest shall crumble shortly after! All remaining squads shall assist in the main fight throughout the city. I hope that everything is smooth sailing from now and I wish you all good luck with your tasks and thank you all for your sacrifice; no matter the scale of it, it is all appreciated. Now I declare operation Hircea officially commenced" I explained clearly so that everyone would understand, including the dullest bulbs in the pack. Passion for the topic I was speaking about flooded my voice as I attempted to lift the morale of the troops who were about to give their life for our cause.

The first task that needed to be carried out was infiltrating the city's wall which would be a massive task. Not only was the walls a grand display of the rich's wealth but they were heavily fortified to protect against the things that live out there; heavily mutated creatures spawned from the radioactive wastelands the atomic bombs had left in their devastating wake. We did not know which lived out there in the barren wastelands but the countless creatures that had wondered into our country had left disastrous consequences. Countless lives had been lost, buildings destroyed and crops ruined but the problem was no one had seen the strange creatures before so no one knew how to cope with them. Eventually, the special brigade of soldiers that had been set up in response to the animal attacks detained the animals and those animals were given to science to learn more about the effects of radiation and just what exactly those creatures were. Thanks to that vital research, Hircea was now extremely well equipped to fend off attacking forces which obviously did not fare well for us as we'd now be on the receiving end of the protection which once saved our lives.

Shooting out my grapple, I latched it on to the intimidating, towering, clean white walls and began was ascent to the top. It would require great stealth to get all our soldiers over the walls undetected but that's the only way we'd all be able to get over unscathed. Insider information had informed us that a large portion of the guards would be off duty now reducing the risk of detection to minimal but it was still a great risk. By this point I had reached the top of the wall, I dragged myself up on to the top off the wall, ensuring that I kept my body low to avoid being seen if there was also a guard up on here with me. Quickly I detached the grapple from the wall and took my blades out of the holster that hung at my waist. I slowly crept towards the stone entrance way which held the staircase which led to the city. A guard, dressed in a torn Sina uniform holding a pike in one calloused hand, slowly trudging towards me as he went about his rounds. Quickly I ducked behind the wall, out of the soldier's view. I now had two choices, attempt to sneak past the guard and remain undetected or I could kill him and make the way safe for our soldiers. I snuck up behind the guard, holding my breath in anticipation. Looping my arms around the taller man's neck, I began constricting his throat, cutting off his air supply. The man, clearly stunned began violently struggling against my grip but he was unable to break free and eventually he went limp in my arms. Carefully I lowered the man to the floor, taking care not to hurt the man. He may be on the opposing side of my fight but I didn't wish death upon anyone. Slowly I turned to head down the stairs when I heard dozens of heavy footfalls coming from below.

"Someone saw an intruder scaling the north side wall. They haven't managed to infiltrate this gate yet. We may stand a chance to stop a quarter of their army which would significantly weaken their forces. Quick men, before they open the gates" I heard a booming voice of a Sina general growing louder up the stairs. Fear sparked through my body, I could hear countless men coming towards me and I was only one person. How could I take out these men all by myself without being killed?


	25. Chapter 25

I clung to the wall, desperately trying to conceal my location to the group of men who were charging up the stairs behind me. They were coming to kill me; I was their intruder. The first member of the garrison under my command over the wall, it was my job to ensure it was safe in the area around the gate and then open it for the rest of my brigade to enter the city. If I was the only Captain unable to carry out this simple mission, then what would that say about my skill level? I was the youngest Captain leading their group but I did not want to be known as the least competent. They would peg it on my age.

"Where is the intruder?" A male voice asked, boredom expressed in his tone. He obviously didn't want to be here. I guess finding me was shortening his lunch break by a significant amount. It was lazy idiots like him that didn't deserve to be in the position he was in. Sina soldiers were paid a large sum of money a year and none of them did a good job at protecting the citizens whose taxes paid their wages. It was disgusting really.

"I don't know! That's why I said you had to find them. God, I don't know why I was assigned to your squad of merry morons" The same voice who I had heard first snapped at the male that had just spoken. I stuck my head around the corner, cautiously to avoid being spotted by the group of Sina soldiers. Quickly, I scanned the corridor trying to get an idea of the number of soldiers that were searching for me. There was a total of five men stood in a circle, probably discussing a game plan. One of the men held a cross bow; I'd have to take him out first. Ranged weapons were often the most fatal weapons on the battle field. Two of the men had two blades holstered at their waist, another held a pike and the last man appeared to have no weapon on his person. I had to take out the five men and open the gate. This should be fairly easy, I hope.

The men began to withdraw from the circle and break off into three groups. Two men headed for the corridor opposite me, two men headed in my direction and the last stayed protecting the stair. Quickly, I ducked behind the stack of wooden crates and watched every movement the two men. One of the men stopped at the doorway whilst the other carried on with his patrol. I should go after the one moving away from the rest of the group, maybe I can lure the other towards us. Keeping to the shadows, I followed the guard as he carried on down the corridor. Glancing over my shoulder every so often to see if the other guard had begun following or if we were now out of site. When I was sure the other guard would not see me, I pulled a small dagger out of my boot and snuck up behind the guard. Quickly, I thrust myself upwards, grabbing the guard by the throat and I plunged my dagger into his throat. Luckily the guard was so overcome with shock that he did not scream out. He dropped to his knees, crimson blood spurting like a waterfall from the wound in his neck. The guard fell to the floor with a clatter, his eyes now were glassy more akin to glass eyes rather than the real things and a pool of blood seeped out from underneath him.

"I'm sorry, I had to. Rest in peace fellow soldier" I whispered, remorse flooding my senses. Get a hold of yourself Eren. You're fighting a war, you can't afford to mourn every person that dies in this war. The time to pay respect to the dead is after the fighting is finished; there for you don't get yourself killed in the meantime. It gives you something to live for. Who will remember them if you're also gone? I dragged the soldier's body to the side and hid it behind one of the stacks of crates. I didn't want the dead body to be discovered by anyone else patrolling the wall. They'd put this section of the wall on lockdown and then we'd never be able to get into the city. Becoming a part of the shadows again, I snuck carefully back to my starting spot, making sure that I remained undetected by the dead soldier's counterpart. The second guard was facing my position, this would make the job of killing him harder. I stopped when I reached the entrance way to the section of the corridor that the guard was in. I had to lure him farther down the corridor without attracting to much attention. Mustering all my energy, I quickly sprinted across the corridor; from one stack of crates to another the other side of the corridor.

"What the hell was that? Is someone there?" The guard grunted. Footsteps thundered towards my location causing the metal armour to loudly clang with every step. "Show yourself you traitor. I promise I'll go easy on you" the guard gave out a disturbing laugh, trying to intimidate me with his comment. I wasn't easily frightened. The guard began walking to the side of the crate, trying to find me. I slowly slipped round to the other side of the crate, so that I was now behind him. After the guard realised I wasn't behind the crate, he returned to the centre of the isle, his back still to me. I cautiously snuck I behind the guard, who towered over me, preparing myself to ambush the guard. However, I was not quick enough and the guard had already turned around.

"Well you said you wanted to see me" I joked, trying to make light of the situation. Shock displayed on his face as he realised that I was not a fellow Sina guard. His hand fumbled at his waist as he tried to remove his swords from their holster.

"Well, I'm awfully sorry about this but I've got to dash." I said, masking the nerves I was feeling with amusement. I quickly swept my foot under the guard's legs, toppling him to the ground and effectively stunning him further. I jumped on top on the guard, pinning his arms to his side with my legs in the process. I grabbed the dagger I had used to kill the first guard and brought it to his throat.

"Maybe we should arrange this for another time?" I asked sarcastically, slitting his throat with the silver dagger as I spoke. Ruby red blood spurted out from the wound, spraying me in the face and pooling around the guard's head. The guard choked and spluttered as his life faded before his eyes.

"Rest in peace fallen soldier" I muttered as I sprang up and retook my place in the shadows. Two guards down. In theory, I only must take out one more guard and then open the gates. I just must be careful about how I approach taking out the next guard. I crept up to the entrance way, leaning my head around the corner to gain information about his position.

Crap. He was facing forward, meaning there was no way I could sneak up on him without him noticing me and potentially calling out for help. A three versus one scenario would not be ideal when I could just kill him. I quickly scanned the ceiling to see if there was any way I could take him out from above. No, it was just a plain plasterboard ceiling with only small light fixtures hanging off it in regular intervals. The only way I was going to be able to get down those stairs and open the gate would be if I charged at the guard, guns blazing and hoping that I kill him before he either kills me or calls for help. I gathered my thoughts, in an attempt to calm myself down and mentally prepare myself for what was bound to be a fight. Lady Luck was never one to favour me.

I unsheathed my blades, adjusting my grip on both handles, ensuring I was a prepared as possible. Keeping myself low, I charged at the guard. Almost straight away the guard noticed me running towards him and he had his sword drew, ready for my attack.

"So, you're the intruder, ey?" He sneered, looking me up and down with a wicked glint. "I have to say I never imagined them to be a cute, little thing like you. Are you sure you want to do this sweet heart? We could always do something else"

"Why are the men who work as Sina soldiers always disgusting, sexist pigs?" I spat, disgust and unease pulsing through my body.

"Oh, so you're looking for a fight are ye? Fine if that's what you want then I'll let you have it. Frank! Gerard! The intruder's over here, trying to get to the gate! She's looking for a fight. Want to give her one?" He called out to the other guards who had gone off to the other direction.

"Why not call out to the other two?" I smirked.  
"Well I imagine you manged to kill them and that's how you got this far. Those two were useless. Better off dead they are if you ask me." The guard replied. Eren, why haven't you killed him already? You could have the gate open by now if you hadn't of stood here blathering. By this point the other two guards had reappeared in the room with smug looks plastered on their face.

"She's a cutie this one isn't she Steve." The shorter of the guards winked and the guard blocking the stairs.

"Why don't we show her what we do to traitorous scum like her" The other said chuckling. Dear God, please let this end well for me.


	26. Chapter 26

"If she wants a fight, shouldn't we give it to her? After all, it'd be rude to deny a lady what she desires" the guard named Steve jeered, leering towards me as if were his prey.

"Bring it on, old man" I winked, preparing myself for the first attack. I had taken out the man with the cross bow and one of the men with swords so I no longer had to worry about ranged attacks however one of these men were a mystery in the terms of their weapon. The other two men were equipped with two swords and a pike. This would have been easy if I had to face them individually but this wasn't the case and the odds were now stacked against me. The guard holding the pike lunged at me but I quickly jumped out the way of the attack and swung my sword at the pike man. He had been anticipating my attack however he was not quick enough to move out of the way of my blade and I managed to gouge a chunk of skin out the man's calf. He grunted in pain but remained adamant on killing me. The pike man nodded at the man with the two swords and he thrusted his pike at me; again, I managed to dodge his attack but I didn't see the two swords swinging towards me in time to fully dodge resulting in my left arm being nicked with one of the swords. I stepped back as the impact of the sword registered in my brain but the third man had his leg stretched out behind me. I lost my footing and plummeted to the stone floor. The third man sprang on me, attempting to pin me down only to fail miserably. I flipped us round, so I was now on top of the man. I reached for the other dagger I kept in my other boot and held it to his throat.

"This wasn't quite what I had in mind cutie" the guard sneered at me, a feral glint shining his eyes. Bile rose in my throat in disgust as I took in his comment.

"Rot in hell, scum" I hissed as I pulled the dagger back across his throat. His throat split as if I were cutting through butter. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering me with even more of the enemy's blood. I reached for my swords and quickly shot up to face the remaining two guards. Wiping away the blood on my face, I gave them a toothy smile. "Who's next?"

"You're a crazy bitch aren't you" the pike man spat, looking nervous as he took in the site of his dead colleague.

"Oh, trust me hunny, you haven't seen the half of it" I laughed, eyeing up the two men and assessing the state they were both in. The pike man lunged at me again, swiftly I dodge the pike and grabbed the wooden handle. I gave one large tug, pulling the man towards me. With a mighty thrust, I drove one of my swords straight through his abdomen. The man's eyes widened in shock as he dropped his pike and clutched at his wound. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he choked on his last breaths of air. The man's body fell like a dead weight and his life blood seeped out of him, forever staining the floor beneath him with tragedy. I turned my attention to the cowering last man who was staring at me with a panicked expression.

"I hope I've saved the best until last. Will you give me a proper fight unlike those two?" I asked, amused. This was easier than I thought it was going to be which usually means that something is about to go horrifically wrong.

The last guard swung at me with one of his swords which I easily blocked with my own sword. His other sword came hurtling towards my own abdomen in a plunging motion however I quickly blocked his attack and used my feet to knock the man to the ground. I placed one foot on his chest and picked up his own sword. I inspected the sword, flipping it over in my hand to admire the craftsman's ship but also to prolong the guards suffering and he awaited the final, lethal blow. I plunged the guard's sword into his chest and left it there. I gathered my own weapons and hurried down the stairs to the gate. There was one guard lent against the wall, protecting the gate controls. I grabbed one of my daggers, and threw it at the guard's chest. It spun round countless times before it embedded itself in the guard's flesh. The guard looked up in my direction, his eyes focusing on me. His face was white with shock as he sank to the ground, blood pouring out of the wound in his chest. I sprinted over to the controls, fiddling with them until the wrought iron gates slowly creaked open. I dashed over to the entrance, taking in the site of my battalion's campsite from the inside. If I was being invaded by this force, I truly would be frightened. I had never realised how many people we in fact fighting for our cause and that just made me even more grateful that a large number of people wanted to fight for our cause. I unclipped the flare gun from my belt and shot a round. A sea of soldier's faces turned to face me; looks of dread, hope and relief washed over every person's face.

"Men! The way has been cleared! It is time to fight like you have never fought before! This is it! Good luck and hurry through these gates and head to your locations before they realise this portion of the wall has been breached and they send reinforcements. The squads assisting me, please come through first. We need to be swift with our task before to many of the Sina soldiers flock to protect the castle. Operation take back Hircea has now truly began! Fight for freedom! Fight for your country's future! Fight for your life!" I shouted at the soldiers before me. I watched as they all sprang into action. The squads assisting me all rushed to grab their equipment before dashing towards the gate and towards me.

"Get your grapple hooks out. It will be easier to get there by roof top" I commanded, getting my own grapple out again. I sprinted towards the closest building and latched my grapple on to the roof of the buildings. Within seconds I was on top of the roof and I was hurtling towards the castle which was in the centre of the city. And when I say centre, the castle is dead in the centre. All of the roads lead to the castle and the castle is a massive, ornate, stone structure that you can't miss for miles. There's no way you can get lost. I carried on running along the roof tops, occasionally jumping when there was a gap between the buildings. My assisting squads were trailing behind me, desperately trying to keep up with my pace. When I had reached the end of the buildings, I suddenly stopped, causing some of the soldiers who were closest to me, to trip and fall over.

"Men, there is the castle. That's where Konig is and that's where we need to infiltrate. I would like to keep the death toll to a minimal so if you can knock the enemy out, please pick that option rather than killing them. However please keep yourselves safe. This will be a hard fight and not all of you will survive but remember, you will not be sacrificing yourself in vain. We will win this fight, even if we die trying. Thank you for your help men. I appreciate it. Squads 5 and 7 will fight outside only and squad 9 will assist the elite squad, who shall meet us on top of the castle, in getting inside of the castle. Squad 5 and 7 please wait until we release the flare before attacking. I'd like to carry out this operation as stealthily as possible. Is everything clear?" I explained, glancing at every soldier. A chorus of 'Yes Commander' rang out in the group which I nodded to in return.

I turned and ran, launching myself of the top of the building, landing on the dirt with a roll which absorbed the impact of my fall. Squad 9 followed my actions and kept behind me. Together we crept towards the castle, keeping low and behind objects like bushes and walls. Eventually we reached a point in which we could use our grapples to reach the tallest tower of the castle. Thankfully we hadn't come under any attack on the way. I launched my grapple and it latched on to the top tower of Konig's castle. I began my ascent but when I was almost at the top, a guard appeared at the top of the tower. He peered down at me and his eyes trailed to my grapple which was gripped on to the section of wall right in front of him. A grim smile stretched across the man's face as his hand gripped on to my grapple. My eyes widened in panic as he began to pull the grapple of the stone. However, before he could let go off the grapple, a sword broke out of his chest and he dropped to his knees. As the guard sank to the ground he revealed the most tantalising sight. I was like a traveller seeing an oasis in the desert after days without drink. Captain Levi stood over the dead guard's corpse. However, my joy did not last for long as I felt myself begin to fall to my death. Was I going to die before the fighting really began? That would be just my luck.


	27. Chapter 27

Levi dashed forward, lunging to grab the grapple which was quickly falling off the tower. Luckily, he managed to grip onto the grapple before it completely fell off the edge. All I could do was watch and wait for him to help me up. I honestly felt so useless around Levi. It always seemed like he was saving my stupid ass. He dug the grapple back into the stone and I resumed climbing up the side of the tower. Once I was on the ground, I ran and launched myself at Levi, wrapping my arms around him.

"Levi, I've missed you so much! I'm so glad you're okay. You don't even a scratch on you. No wonder they call you Hircea's strongest soldier" I chuckled as I buried my face into his chest.

"I've missed you to Eren, but I wish I could say the same about you." He sighed, gently pulling my chin up so he could see my face. He titled my head from one side to the other so that he could see the entire thing.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" I joked, unsure of what he was looking for.  
"Yes, in fact you do." He stated matter of factly, a displeased tone in his voice.

"Wait there is? What is it? Can you get it off?" I said shocked, releasing Levi from my grasp and rubbing at my face in an attempt to remove whatever it was.

"That's no use you know. I leave you alone for half a day and you end up covered in blood, cuts and bruises and not to mention I find you about to be dropped off a tower to your death. I guess you really do need my protection." Levi explained, cupping my check and stroking small circles on the apple of my cheek.

"Oh, the bloods not mine. You see the other guys, they're a bit worse off than me." I giggled, leaning into his touch.

"What am I going to do with you? I don't think I should let you take part in the next leg of the mission. I fear you might do yourself even more harm. Maybe I should wrap you in bubble wrap to protect you" Levi murmured and he appeared to be deep in his thoughts.

"Levi, I'm not sure that bubble wrap would be very useful against piercing weapons. They'd just cut right through it" I pointed out.

"You're right about that. How about iron plated Armor? That should do the job" Levi suggested.

"It would be too heavy for me to be able to function properly. I need to tell the others to give the others the signal to tell them it's safe to come up here and to tell the other two squads to commence fighting." I said, pulling away from Levi and reaching for the flare gun on my belt.

"Hang on a second, before you do that can I just…" He trailed off.

"Huh?" I asked, turning my attention toward Levi and away from my flare gun. His finger tucked underneath my chin and he pulled my face towards his, into a sweet, mouth-watering kiss that turned my knees to jelly. He withdrew from the kiss and rested his forehead upon mine.

"I love you so much Eren. Stay safe and shoot that flare" He said before pulling away completely. I was completely stunned; all coherent thoughts had left my brain and I had been reduced to a pile of mush. Snapping out of my trance, my fingers fumbled on the flare as I tried to find the trigger. I shot the red flare upwards, signalling the start of the main attack.

"Let's go find Konig!" I smiled, drawing my blades and heading towards the door. First step of our mission, get into the throne room which was the main room of the castle. The throne room is a massive hall in the centre of the castle. It shouldn't be hard to find but it's the soldiers positioned throughout the castle that would be the problem. We started our decent down the narrow stone staircase, moving slowly in case a Sina soldier happened to be charging up the stairs towards us. Levi and I were both right handed so we had the advantage if there was a fight on the stairs; that's just how castles our designed. Soon enough we reached the bottom of the stairs without confrontation, I poked my head out of the stairwell to evaluate the room before us. There were three soldiers all wielding one sword protecting this room.

"Three soldiers. One sword each" I whispered in Levi's ear. He nodded in understanding and we carried out our ambush on the three guards. Levi swiftly cut the guards legs, knocking him to his knees and slicing his throat before quickly spinning around and quickly impailing a second guard in the abdomen with his second sword. I charged at the remaining soldier, meeting his attack. Our swords clanging together, I swung my second sword at the guard's legs; attempting to mirror Levi's attack. The guard fell to the floor and I finished him off by thrusting my sword straight through his chest. I whipped the blood off my sword on to my trouser leg and followed Levi out of the room. Not far from the room we had just been in stood a massive, golden set of double doors which were decorated with delicate leaf and flower engravings. Such a grand door must lead to the throne room. Not to mention there was at least six guards on duty outside the room.

"I'll go in first, flank me and offer me protection." Levi said in a hushed voice before he advanced into the room.

"Intruder!" one of the guards roared, pointing at Levi who simply threw a dagger at the shouting man. It landed square in his chest, silencing the loud man. The man's body slumped over and collapsed to the floor. One down, five to go. Guard after guard charged at Levi with their sword but Levi swiftly blocked all their attacks and managed to cut down two off the guards, killing them instantly. The guards had not realised I was their yet so I still had the element of surprise. I crept up behind one of the remaining three guards and plunged my sword straight through their back before plunging my dagger straight into another guard's neck. Meanwhile Levi had impaled the remaining guard with his sword and was waiting for me to finish so we could enter the throne room together. Levi kicked open the doors to the throne room and there he was. Konig.

Placed in the centre of the room was a giant, golden beautifully engraved throne but the man who sat on top of the breath-taking opposite was the exact opposite. On the throne sat a balding old man, who's remaining hair was disgustingly greasy brown hair. His face was sharp and angular and the expression on his face was always a sneering, I'm better than you look. He was a pudgy short man who gave you chills just looking at him. No, I wasn't scared on him. He just disgusted me.

"Ah, Levi! My favourite soldier, I see you brought me the intruder! Eren, we meet at last. If you wanted an audience with me, you just had to ask! There's no need for this violence" Konig stated, a cheery voice in his tone as he approached us.

"That's not why we're here and you know that!" Levi growled, preparing to attack.

"I was hoping that it was not true. I was refusing to believe that one of my most loyal soldiers had joined this ridiculous rebel movement. But alas, I see the reason why you have done so. This little girl, who I should have disposed of alongside her mother years ago, not to mention, has bewitched you with her charm. Was it worth it Levi?" Konig sneered, glaring at me.

"Did you say my mother? What did you do to her" I shouted, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Oh yes, your father was being too slow with his research so I killed your mother as an incentive to speed up or I'd kill you next. The bastard ran off with all our research and left you in a market square in response. Should have killed you first. I think we would have had a different outcome then. So, then Levi you haven't answered my question. Is she worth your life?" Konig explained with a happy, reminiscing look on his face before he turned his attention back to Levi.

"Yes, she is. She's worth fighting for. She thinks I'm fighting for freedom but I couldn't care less about that. I'm only fighting for her." Levi admitted unashamedly.

"Man, you're whipped. You used to be fun. I guess that's what women do to you" Konig laughed, drawing his own sword. "Shall we dance?" Konig asked, lunging at Levi. The two engaged in a long, skilled sword fight, their swords clashing in a calming rhythm. I'd never seen Levi in a fight of such matched skill, even their dirty tactics were saw by the others. That was until Konig tripped over Levi and thrust his sword into Levi's side. Konig twisted the sword before pulling it out and turning to face me.

"Do you want a go? Or do you want to surrender?" Konig asked cockily. The colour drained out of my face as I realised what he had just done. Had he really killed Levi?


	28. Chapter 28

Colour drained out of my world as if someone had pulled the plug out of a bath. A lifeless grey had enveloped my surroundings, suffocating the last of the beautiful colour that had once stained the delicate environment around me. Time came to a standstill, frozen in the place of devastating destruction that had crashed into my life like a wrecking ball. Forever locking me in my torment.  
"Levi!" I screamed, as I watched the fatal dagger rip through his flesh unapologetically. His eyes widened in shock, his hand going to clutch at his abdomen. Scarlet tendrils bled through the pure white of his uniform, forever staining the innocence with its promise of forgotten agony. White hot rage sliced its way through my body, igniting every nerve in my being. My eyes narrowed at the chubby leader of the Hana faction, red hot tears seeping down my cheeks; staining them with the grief that had become a second nature to me. Scarlet ebbed at my vision, as he stalked towards me.  
"Are you happy with what you've started little girl" He mocked me, a taunting smirk etched on his face.  
"What I've started? How can you be happy with what you've done this country? Hasn't humanity suffered enough?" I snarled, every word of his aggravating me further. Ever since I first met him, something about him got under my skin. General Fritz König, the current leader of the Hana faction; he's been the leader for over 10 years. For as long as I can remember his face has been plastered everywhere the eye could see; persuading the already indoctrinated public to continuing voting for them. It's only recently that his iron grip on our world has slipped and day by day grows weaker. I'm not sure if that's because people are finding groups like mine or because they can finally see what scum the Hana faction are. In all honesty I don't care, but Fritz deserves death.  
König was quite a tall man, roughly 6ft 2. Compared to my measly height of 5''4 he loomed over me; like the wave of a tsunami before it crashed its devastating wave upon the shore. He had greasy brunette locks which messily framed his face, the strand had been positioned to cover the bald spots which unceremoniously dotted the elder man's head. His eyes were a piercing blue; the blue was so bright it almost looked unnatural. His face was worn and wrinkles etched their stories on his face. His skin was a caramel colour; the kind of tan that you got from years of work in the elements. I'm sure how he ended up with this complexion, as far as I'm concerned he's never done a proper day's work in his life.  
"Oh what have I done? Enlighten me little girl, tell me what made up stories you've concocted in that pretty little head of yours." König drawled, closing the distance between us and pressing me against the wall.  
"What haven't you done? I've sat back long enough and watched you slowly starve the nation. The poorest families under your rule can barely afford to feed themselves let alone can they afford to educate their children or clothe themselves. Thus continuing the cycle of poverty. And what about those evaluation missions you send soldiers on? I don't believe the world is as dangerous as you make it out to be but yet none of them come back alive! How do we know that you haven't killed them off? All off this as your inner circle can afford to live in the luxury you do now. Haven't you learnt anything from the past? Greed only makes things worse! -  
"Oh and sharing things equally amongst the people works amazingly well too. Is that what your suggesting? What do you expect us to do about the poor? Give them our money so we become like them to? And how is the missions to the outside any of your business? Its classified information, none of your business." He laughed at the issues I was raising, brushing them off as if they weren't his problems.  
"I'm not suggesting bringing the communist way of life back no. I'm suggesting you make education free, that you lower the extremely high taxes that is basically their entire wage, that you offer a minim wage which stops worker exploitation. Little things like that will help the people so much. Those aren't even the worst thing. It's what you plan to do! How can you justify ending so many lives in your next project?" I said as calmly as possible which was growing increasingly harder to do with every passing second. A shocked expression appeared on his withered looking face. It was as if he didn't expect me to know anything about his little genocide project.  
"Who told you about that?" He growled, his handing shooting up to grasp my throat. The sweating hand, crushing my windpipes and pinning me against the harsh, cold wall that hadn't realised was behind.  
"How are you going to justify this?" I laughed bitterly as I forced the words out despite my starved lungs.  
"Oh little girl, how this is so much bigger than you and I. You wouldn't even be able to comprehend what is about to take place" König chuckled, his other hand trailing down my check; wiping away the drying tears that had already fallen. I cringed at the contact from the older man, his gestures towards me had taken a creepier tone; no longer were they threating.  
"Enlighten me then" I suggested, grimacing from the pain emanating from my chest.  
"I never realised how beautiful you were. Henri and Christina really did gift the world with a gem like you… I will never forgive Henri for taking her from me but I guess his daughter will be the perfect Queen for my new future. Yes, that's perfect! Revenge on Henri Rochester and a beautiful bride." He muttered quietly to himself, his hand trailing further down my body.  
"What did my dad ever do to you?" I asked, I could feel bile rising in the back of my throat. Repulsion echoing of every fibre of my being as the deranged man continued feeling me as if I were a fresh cut of meat. His eyes shot open widely as he heard my question, a bright, furious flame of hatred burned in his blue eyes.  
"What did he do you ask? Not only did he ruin my life once, he had the cheek to attempt to do it a second time! I mean the nerve of some people. Don't they like their friends being happy?" He exclaimed angrily. I opened my mouth to reply to what he had just told me but he silenced me by clamping his free hand down on my mouth.  
"No, no. Dear you don't need to respond to that. It was a rhetorical question you see. I assume you want an answer to your question; do you not? That was a bit of a stupid question; was it not? Let me start at the beginning; now where was that? Give me a second, I need to collect my thoughts! Oh! I know! Your father took your whore of a mother from me. Oh how I was heartbroken… But looking back at it now I don't see why I was so bothered. I mean look what's mine now" He leered at me, disgust overwhelmed me but anger burned brighter than the discomfort I was feeling at his words.  
"I'm not yours. I belong to Captain Levi of the Hana faction. And don't call my mother a whore you creep!" I shouted, finishing my rant by spitting in the General's face. His eyebrows furrowed in anger as he realised what I had just done but to my surprise, no beating came as a result. Instead he sighed heavily before carrying on with his story.  
"I'm just going to pretend that never happened. When you become mine I will defiantly have to teach you some manners. Can't have you disrespecting me like that in front of my mates; can I now? Now where was I? Oh yes, see your father promised me he would develop this drug for me that would wipe the minds off the people and therefore they would become the respectful little sheep they once were and go back to doing anything I asked them to. You see that was the original plan instead of the one that's about to be launched. You know the one which states all but 1000 people who are loyal supporters off me will be killed. By the look of your face you didn't know that… Yeah that was my doing. You see Erwin made it a little easier for me to narrow it down. I asked him to get the opposing factions to start recruiting the people against me by suggesting the other throw plan. And what would make that easier? Well telling everyone I was planning on killing them anyway! That plan was genius if I'm honest. Made my job of selecting worthy individuals a whole bunch easier! You didn't think a man like Erwin would really betray his faction like that did you; oh you stupid, naïve girl. But if I'm honest I didn't think there was a many traitorous worms in the Scouts as the plan revealed to me. Point and case your boyfriend. Anyway back to the point; it's all your dad's fault that this is happening because he ran away with the formula for the finished product which no one else has been able to replicate and I'm bored of waiting for my new future so I changed the plan. Now you're lucky, you see. Even though you're a traitorous worm like the rest of them, I'm willing to save you and make you my wife in my new future. All you have to do is say yes. I mean if you don't you'll die so take your pick." He offered, leaning his face closer to mine, capturing my lips in a cold, wet kiss as if he was attempting to persuade me with what I could have if I chose him. I tried to force the vomit that had rose to the back of my throat back down, I felt disgusted and used but worse of all, I felt as if I had just betrayed Levi. How could I live with myself knowing that this happened? At least choosing death would allow me to die with dignity. Why was my life worth more than the rest of them? He'd kill me once he was bored of me. Or once I had produced enough satisfying heirs for his kingdom.  
"I will never be yours. Even if I say yes, know that I will never love you. My heart belongs to Levi and will remain that way until the day I die. Nothing you can do will change that. Saying yes is merely a survival tactic." I replied emotionlessly, my eyes focused on the floor. I could no longer stomach looking at the creep's face.  
"Do you think I'm stupid? I know all of this already dear. But don't worry I don't want your heart. But I will make you mine in every way I know possible. Even in ways he hasn't" He laughed, a sinister grin spread across his face. I knew what he meant by those words and my face burned hotly at the mention of it.  
"I will never be yours. I am Levi's forever." I hissed through my teeth, turning my face away from him. I didn't need a repeat of what just happened. However he had other plans, he gripped my cheeks and turned my head roughly so I could look him directly in the eyes. He planted another kiss to my mouth with a wide, insane grin plastered comically across his face.  
"Who is Levi? The guy I just killed? He seemed nice but I don't think dead men can have a claim on the living anymore. That would be a bit silly now wouldn't it, especially if they won't be using it. It's very wasteful." He chuckled, letting go of my throat and stepping back to give me space. I fell to my knees, gasping for breath. The room entirely silent, the tension in the room so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. Tears threatened to spill from my sore eyes as I was reminded of the loss that I had suffered little more than an hour ago. My mind had been to occupied trying to resist the creep that was trying to have his way with me.  
A rich, gravelly voice ripped through the silence. One that didn't match the lanky man stood in front of me with a harsh smirk spread across his malicious face. One that seemed all too familiar. One that seemed too good to be true.  
"Who say's I'm dead"


	29. Chapter 29

"Who say's I'm dead? You know I think you've of all people should know you should never touch what belongs to someone else. I'm actually offended that you thought I was dead, you barely grazed me. And now you've made me mad by hitting on my girl." Levi growled, stalking closer to König; his weapons drawn as if he was a predator ready to pounce.  
"Oh are you here to play hero? I'm afraid that won't be happening. I'm not going to let a brat destroy my plans that I've been working on for my entire life. That can't happen. And the only way to prevent that is to kill you…. Actually no! I have a better idea, let's have duel! If I win, I get your girl and to kill you and if you win you get to kill me and take control of the kingdom! Fair deal I think, well for me at least. I won't lose to an inexperienced kid. Shake my hand if you accept to the terms!" König exclaimed, drawing his swords quickly. He looked as if he was a kid waking up on Christmas morning. König turned to me, licking his lips as he glanced over me. "Don't worry dear, I'll show you want a real man can do. You can have me soon" He winked, before prancing off to the centre of the room to join Levi.  
"I have some advice before you propose a fight. Don't do everything possible to annoy the living daylights out of the person you want to fight you. You will get your ass handed to you on a golden platter you tool" Levi hissed, raising his weapons and readying himself for the fight.  
"So you accept. Wonderful. Please don't take me killing you to personally. It's what I have to do to protect my own interests. Oh and your girlfriend is smoking how did you pull her" He chuckled charging at Levi with two ruby encrusted steel blades.  
König swung at Levi, in an attempt to stab him in the chest but the move was anticipated and Levi swiftly countered the attack and started his own attack. Levi delicately swung the sword, creating the illusion that he too was aiming for König's chest. König brought one of his swords to block what he thought Levi was doing however König had placed his swords exactly where Levi had wanted them to be. Levi swiftly swung his other sword and knocked König's defending sword to floor. The sword clattered to the floor loudly and a panicked look emerged from König's face. Whereas Levi was the exact opposite; calm and collected not letting any emotion break through his cool composure. König to, noticed this and his attacks became more frantic. Each move putt himself in more danger of being ended by Levi and his deadly blade. Heavy breaths erupted from the older man, who's stamina appeared to be much smaller than his opponents and this triggered a change in the man's game plan. He knew he was about to lose. He was now going to play dirty to avoid losing to the Captain. König was so determined that he was to be the winner that he would fight by any means necessary.  
König stuck his foot out in a successful attempt to trip Levi. Levi fell quickly and hardly on to the marble flooring, his swords sent flying across the floor. König straddled him, in an attempt to keep the agile man pinned to the ground. If Levi were allowed to get back up and fight the exhausted König wouldn't be able to fight for much longer and he'd lose. That's why he'd resorted to playing dirty little tricks. All I could do was stand there and watch. Watch the love of my life be taken away from me, for real this time. I shook my head trying to dismiss the thought. What was I on about? I had the power to stop this. I reached to pull my own swords from the holsters that hung around my waist only to come up empty handed. I had forgotten that König had already taken and disposed of them in our previous fight that had resulted in the destruction of my precious swords. My eyes scanned the room for new weapons, quickly checking on the fighting males. Levi was trying to force König's swords from his hands in an attempt to stop his own throat from being sliced open. I could tell that he was struggling and that it was only a matter of time before he lost his fight. There was only so much that the strongest soldier could do; especially whilst injured. I needed to act quickly or it wouldn't only be Levi that would be lost; we would lose the hope for humanity. Our fight would be lost. My eyes located Levi's discarded blades lying unattended in the middle of the room. Jack pot.  
I slowly snuck across the room, trying to make the littlest noise possible. I was done for it I caught König's attention. We were no good to the world if both of us ended up dead. Levi's eyes darted to my moving figure, a smile spread across his face when he realised where I was heading. I had given him hope that this wasn't the end for him. That's what he needed. His struggle to keep the blades off of him became easier as if the weight of the metal had become as light as a feather.  
"What's with the smile shorty? You think it's funny that you're about to die" König snarled, pushing the blades with more force at the smaller man's neck.  
"Oh how wrong you are Fritz" Levi grinned, his eyes flickering over to me only for a millisecond but the fact I now possessed the lethal blades was a great comfort to him. His grin only growing wider and aggravating the older man further. I sneaked up behind the two brawling men, keeping as quietly as I possibly could. Any hint at my position would blow the attack out of the water.  
"I really don't understand how you come to the conclusion that you are wining in this fight. Unless you consider dying the prize here. In which case you should of probably got that seen to instead of starting a rebellion. But to each their own I suppose. Strange bugger you are" König muttered, confusion evident in his voice. It was funny how unaware the man was off his surroundings.  
Quickly I sprang up behind the man, looping my arm around his neck so that the steel of Levi's sword was flush against his throat. I straddled his back, pinning him so that he had no way of escaping.  
"Oh that's dirty, using a girl to win a fight. What sort of man are you?" König hissed, struggling against my vice like grip.  
"Word of advice, don't insult a girl's loved one and then force yourself on her. Who are you to judge a man, especially with what you've done. Rot in hell you bastard." I hissed in König's ear before using all the strength I could muster to slice the larger man's throat. A fountain of blood spurted from the former General's neck, spraying and coating everything beneath him in the crimson stain of death. I released him from my grip and König's body drop like a dead weight onto Levi who was still pinned beneath the corpse. Blood continued to leak from the wound in the man's neck, coating Levi in a thick layer of warm blood. He crawled out from underneath the dead man and push the dead man aside. He slowly approached me, looping his arms around my shoulders, pulling me in to the warmth of his chest. I inhaled deeply, taking in the musky, comforting scent that was Levi.  
"We've done it. We've finally ended the tyrannical reign of Hana and General König. All those who died for us, have finally got what they gave their lives for. They weren't wasted. What will happen now?" I sobbed into his chest. The joy I was feeling at what we had just accomplished was overwhelming and not comprehendible. I honestly couldn't believe it was over.  
"I can't answer that question. I never thought we'd get this far in all honesty. But I'm glad we did, and I'm glad I got to do this with you" Levi murmured softly into my shoulder. I could feel the fabric of the jacket covering my shoulder growing wetter the longer Levi rested his head on me.  
"Levi are you crying?" I asked, pulling myself away from him so I could look at the older man's face. And sure enough, small crystal tears streaked across his cheeks as if they were racing each other.  
"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy the scum bag is dead and you're ok. I couldn't bear to listen to what he was saying to you. I'm sorry you had to go through all that but it was Erwin's plan. I had to follow it to a tea or it wouldn't have worked. Please forgive me" Levi sobbed. It was unnerving seeing the man cry, it was the first time I'd seen this side of him and I hoped I never had to see it again. It was too painful to watch him cry.  
"I don't care about that right now. I thought you were dead. I thought I'd lost you! Never do that to me again. I don't think I'd be able to stand it" I exclaimed, tears streaking down my own face.  
"I love you so much Eren" He whispered, leaning his face closer and capturing my lips in a sweet, emotional kiss. This kiss was different from the rest he had given me. This one promised a future together and countless more to follow this one. I looped my arms around his neck and let all my emotions leak out into the kiss we were sharing. It was the only way I could fully show him how much I cared for him. I'm not the best with words you see. I pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air and longing for the return of his soft lips. He rested his forehead against mine, a goofy smile plastered across his face.  
"I still want you to explain the plan though. Thanks for keeping me out of the loop"


	30. Chapter 30

The room around us was eerily silent, filled with the promise of new and better times. The sounds of swords clashing echoed around us as Levi and I sat in each other's embrace, the corpse of König lay beaten and bloodied besides us. A pool of crimson blood pooled around the body, staining the stone floor with its pain and suffering. Tears of joy pooled, leaking down my face and leaving a stain of achievement on my cheek. I was stunned; thoughts were barely forming and I could hardly speak. I couldn't believe that we had managed to over throw König. The future, my future, our country's future looked so much brighter. I'm glad the smug, taunting, evil man was now rotting on the floor beside me. I will forever cherish the look on his sneering face as I plunged my sword into his chest, extinguishing all life and his future of torment and misery. For once in my life I couldn't wait to see what the future had in store for me.  
"What were Erwin's plans?" I asked, turning my gaze to Levi. His eyes widened, probably not expecting me to ask the question so soon. He gulped as he tried to gather his thoughts, his hand running through his raven locks and biting his lip.  
"Well I'll put it simply as I can as I honestly can't be bothered to explain it in great lengths. I'm tired, we almost died for god sake. Is that Okay?" Levi asked, glancing directly at my eyes. His cool, steely blue eyes mirrored the emotions I was feeling myself; elated happiness and hope. However, Levi was in worse shape than me. Cuts littered his face by the dozens, his lip was split with a trail of blood trickling down his chin. A large purplish blue bruise ruined the once porcelain skin and more crimson blood leaked from his nose and out the split in his ebony eyebrows. His face; once one of perfection and of beauty was now a pained, shattered reminder of its former self. Now don't get me wrong here; Levi was still as handsome as ever but the wounds littered haphazardly across his face served as a reminder for all the pain he had to endure for the sake of a better future.  
"I don't need to know the details specifically right at this moment. Just tell me the basics so I know what to say to the others." I answered, a small smile spread across my face.  
"Well, the premise of Erwin's plan was that if someone close to you, that you loved dearly, were to get hurt, to die even then you would fight harder. That the more emotionally attached you were to the mission the more likely it would be to be completed successfully. I'll admit it's a cruel plan but Eric is ruthless when it comes to getting plans executed for the best outcome. I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you about the plan but if you had known about it, it wouldn't have worked and your reaction wouldn't have been genuine. König may have been a fool but he wasn't an idiot. He would have saw through it and one of us would have ended up dead for real. What would you rather we have done Eren? Would you rather one of us had died for real?" Levi explained, sadness laced through every word suffocating the feeling of betrayal I had been feeling towards the plan.  
"Levi, I can understand why you did this and I'm glad you did for the sake of humanity. I just feel so betrayed right now. I know I shouldn't as I don't think you did anything wrong. In fact, you all did everything right and because of that Hircea has a brighter future in store for it now. However, I can't help the way I feel. I love you so much Levi but I'm not sure if I can trust you anymore. I don't like secrecy and I wish you guys had found another way" I admitted, red staining my cheeks from the embarrassment I was feeling. I had no reason to feel betrayed, no one had betrayed me but here I was, the white-hot pain of betrayal surging through my body, searing everything in its path.  
"And what do you suggest we did instead. I didn't see you coming up with any ulterior plans aside from the one Eric came up with." Levi asked, a scowl forming on his perfect face and anger apparent in his tone.  
"I'm sorry I can't think of any right now and like I said you all did the right things. I just can't help how I feel. I'm sorry Levi" I shrugged, ashamed of myself. His face fell before he recomposed himself with his emotionless expression that didn't betray any emotion. He shook his head before replying to what I had just said.  
"You're unbelievable Eren. Soldiers are still dying out there for this cause. You should be out there calling an end to all the fighting in here. Honestly I could care less if you feel betrayed at this current moment in time; there's more important things to worry about then your feelings. Can you be the strong leader Hircea needs at this crucial time of change or are you going to let an even more vile form of corruption take the credit and sink its deadly claws into our great nation? This is no time to let feelings dictate your actions. Your people need you Eren." Levi hissed harshly, tightly gripping me by the shoulders as if he was trying to shake some sense into me. Emotions clouded my mind, tugging at every rational thought with their poisonous tendrils. Levi was right, I needed to be strong. Hircea needs a strong leader to prevent this from ever happening again. But am I the right person? We need someone who is going to lead us into a time of growth and prosperity. Do I have the skills to ensure that happens? I'm just an average girl who skipped most of her education to seek out adventure albeit looking back at it now that can serve as either a hindrance or a help. Is it fair for me to lead people who are already suffering?  
"Wouldn't it be better to have Erwin or you lead? I'm not sure I'm the most suitable candidate for what is facing us at this present moment" I questioned, a wave of self-pity crashed in my mind; pulling me under its treacherous waves. Why should someone like me get to lead? Not even my own father wanted me. I let out a masochistic laugh at the thought; what had happened to him anyway?  
"Erwin is a tactician not a leader. He is more suited to leading the future army then to leading the country. Erwin may be strong and intelligent but he knows nothing of what is best for the people. If he ran the country he'd treat them all like soldiers. Do you know what that would mean? Food would be rationed to army supplies, there'd be a schedule on when you could eat, go out work etc. and he'd probably make everyone wear an inform if I'm honest. Who'd want to wear a brown jacket every day? Not me for sure." Levi said passionately, visibly shuddering at the vision of a world under Commander Erwin's rule.  
"What about you though? I think you'd be a good leader?" I insisted, pushing him to answer the question he was avoiding.  
"I'd be a good leader? Don't lie Eren, it's not a good look." Levi scoffed, rolling his eyes at my statement. Confusion washed over me. Why could he not see why he'd be a good leader? Probably for similar reasons to you; the thought ran through my head. Maybe if I could convince him then he'd be able to see.  
"I'm not lying. You don't realise what a great person you are Levi! Hircea could do with a firm but fair leader like you! Won't you at least consider it?" I exclaimed, trying to reason with the stubborn male.  
"You're not going to convince me to lead Eren. I'm not the leader Hircea wants nor deserves." Levi said bleakly trying to put an end to this line of discussion. Oh, hell no, I'm not letting this go so easily.  
"At least give me a reason why you can't lead. You'll always be a better option than me, so why won't you even consider it Levi. You could accomplish great things" I said hopelessly. Sometimes talking to him was painful as he never wants to hear what you have to say. It's like talking to a brick wall for god sake.  
"Why should I give you a reason? Is the fact I don't want to do it an option? I don't have the people's support. I don't know what they need. I haven't been living through it for the past decade. I've had to turn a blind eye to the suffering in the street on the rare occasion I saw it. You forget my branch of Sina deals with affairs outside the safety of this country. The longest time I've had off is a few months. I'm the wrong person because I don't know the full extent of the problems and could end up making everything worse for the population. I thought you were supposed to be smart Eren. How did you forget these things?" Levi explained, sadness in voice as he thought of all the time he wasted in the military. Striving towards things which were never going to happen under his leader's rule.  
"Why should I lead then?" I muttered disheartened. I didn't want to lead either. I didn't want to drag everyone down with me.  
"Eren, the people love you. The only reason we had to do this by force and you weren't elected into power was because the elections were rigged. You know what they need. You've seen what they need. So, you have their support and know the problems that need to be fixed and now you have the means to do it. Who is a better option? In addition, you will be a fair leader; you're selfless meaning you won't try and use the power to better yourself. Which is generally the downfall of most politicians. Why don't you want to lead?" Levi said trying to reason with me and my fragile mind. He was right, but I still don't think I'm the right choice. I'm not strong.  
"I'm scared" I whispered, looking away from his gaze.  
"Of what? What is there to fear?" Levi asked, confusion etching itself on to his face.  
"Of failing them, of making things, of promising more than I can give. I don't want to hurt them even more" I sobbed, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes as I let my feelings crashed down around me and envelop me.  
"That's understandable. Sure, you won't be able to fix everything but knowing you, you will do everything in your power to try and help them. And that's all they are asking of you. In addition, you won't be alone. You'll have your council to advise you and I'll be here supporting you all the way. You can do this Eren. I believe in you" He said trying to reassure me, pulling me into a tight embrace to comfort me.  
"I appreciate your support Levi. I just hope that I can better their lives slightly." I said, giving him a small smile.  
"So, are you prepared to be the best damn leader this poor excuse for a country has ever had?" Levi questioned, raising his eyebrow with an expecting expression plastered on his face.  
"Why not, it can't be worse than it already is" I beamed at the short man I was proud I could call my fiancé.  
Filled with a new hope, Levi sprang to his feet quickly. "Shall we go and greet your people?" He asked smiling offering his hand to help me up.


	31. Chapter 31

A loud bang echoed through the throne room as the two golden doors were violently opened and smashed against the cold stone walls. Embracing Levi, I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. I was so tired, exhaustion had hit me like a tidal wave crashing on the shore relentlessly. I couldn't muster the energy or strength to find out who had just entered the room, let alone fight them if they were hostile. Multiple footsteps slapped against the slabs as the unknows entered, their weapons clanging with their every movement. Pushing my face further into his neck, I inhaled his scent whilst I waited for death to come. It was unlikely that these new comers were soldiers under our command. Konig may be dead but our fight for freedom was far from over. I seemed to have forgotten that whilst I was basking in my victory against the dictator. We must have looked a sorry sight, lying broken and beaten on the floor in each other's embrace. How the enemy will take great joy in wiping us out as if we were bugs they could easily and effortlessly crush beneath their boot.

"Levi! Eren! Oh, my god, you're both alive! We were so worried!" a familiar female voice rang out across the empty throne room, leaving a comforting echo in the otherwise dull and characterless room. Slowly, I lifted my head, which felt like I had a lead weight fixed between my shoulders, to catch a glimpse of the speaker. In front of the ornate double doors stood the familiar sight of Hanji, her brunette hair tied up in a messy pony tail which had begun to come loose and hung in limp, sweaty strands around her face. A long scratch framed her cheek bone and fresh crimson blood splattered her glasses. A wide, goofy smile stretched across her face exposing her shockingly perfect, white teeth and the same brightness beamed from her hazel eyes. Next to the taller women stood Mikasa, who looked like she had just gotten dressed in the morning. Her ebony hair, like Hanji's, was pulled back neatly into a professional pony tail but hers was pristine like it had just been washed. Her uniform and weapons were the only sign that she had been fighting in the battle. Splattered across her uniform was brown, dried blood which told tales of the pain she had inflicted and the lives she had ended. However, there was no sign of injury on her. That was just Mikasa though. She had always been the perfect soldier; deadly and efficient. Never getting injured herself. She was almost to perfect and I used to find that ever so annoying. She had a small smile almost hidden on her face.

It was as if someone had jolted me with countless volts of electricity; the new-found energy coursing through my veins. Peeling myself of off Levi, I sprang up and sprinted towards them. It was as if my legs had mind of their own as they propelled towards Hanji and Mikasa. I thrust my arms towards them, pulling them both into a tight hug. Hot tears began leaking from my eyes, staining my cheek with my joy. I felt as if I were on cloud nine; we had well and truly won this fight. I stepped back, releasing them both from my grasp.

"Hanji, Mikasa! I didn't expect to see you so soon!" I cried, wiping the tears away with my dirt encrusted sleeve.

"We didn't expect Konig's soldiers to be such an easy fight. At least half of them gave up fighting us and defected to our side. The rest were easy to take out as we had the advantage of more men. It was more of an extermination squad really" Hanji explained, tightening her pony tail as she talked. "Have I missed anything, Mikasa?" She asked turning to Mikasa.

"I don't think you've missed anything Commander. I trust neither of you two are injured?" Mikasa answered respectfully before asking us what she really wanted to know.

"I think I have a few cuts and bruises but otherwise I'm fine. I think Levi may need medical care asap however. He took the brunt of the damage unfortunately." I explained, gesturing to the smaller man who was still led, presumably passed out on the floor.

"We can arrange that shortly. Was he easy to dispose of?" Hanji question, acknowledging the corpse lying in a pool of blood at the other end of the throne room, and gesturing towards the dead man. My eyes followed her hand causing me to grimace as his body came into view. Images of the moments before his death flashed before my eyes; Levi's 'death', him making a pass at me, the fight and the final blow. Had he been easy to defeat? Mentally? no… Physically? I suppose he was.

"I've had easier targets in the past but he was nothing special, I suppose…" I lied, looking away from everyone.

"That's good. We'll need to burn him later but let's get Levi to the medical station so Hanji can-

Strangled noises erupted from Mikasa, alerting my attention. My eyes darted to where she stood, her eyes were wide with shock and scarlet red dripped from her mouth, staining her ivory skin with her pain. Fear sparked though my system as I darted to catch her falling body. Protruding from her back was a silver dagger which was lodged deeply in her, red seeping through her jacket.

"Hanji! Hanji, oh god it's bad… Mikasa hang in there. Please for the love of God don't die now. Not when we're so close to what we've always dreamed off! Hanji" I cried, screaming the last part.

"Eren. I'm not sure I can do anything. I need to operate but my tools are all in the medical tent. She won't make it to the tent." Hanji explained, panic apparent in the way she spoke. She was running her hands through her hair frantically, trying to decide what to do.

"Where did it come from? There was no one out there! Why haven't they come in here? Cowards!" I shouted, clutching at Mikasa as she bled out on me.

"I don't know! I didn't see it until she fell! I'm going to run, eliminate whoever did it and grabbed my medical supplies. I'll see if I grab Erwin or Armin! I'll need their assistance with Levi later-

"Quit rambling and go already Hanji! She's not got much longer left" I ordered, cutting her off midsentence.

"Yes mam" Hanji said, saluting me before scrambling off through the doors with her swords withdrawn. I looked down at Mikasa's dying form, her skin had become even paler then it had already been, almost all traces of colour had departed from the girl. Her chocolate brown eyes had begun to glass over.

"Eren…" She gasped, trying to take in as much air as her probably punctured lungs could.

"Shh. Mikasa don't talk. Its wasting your energy. Just try and keep conscious for me. You can do that right? You're our strongest soldier. This is just a little scratch for you surely?" I tried to soothe her but failed miserably as my voice kept cracking as I tried to withhold my tears which had begun to pool.

"No Eren. I fear it is too late for me. Make your mother proud for me, I know you will be a great and powerful leader who will do what is right, fair and just for your people. Please do this once great country justice Eren. That's all I ask of you." She coughed, crimson splattered her uniform as she choked.

"No, no, no! I can't do this without you Mikasa. You're my rock! You don't deserve to die… You've come too far" I cried, pulling her closer.

"Eren. Please you need to be strong, especially in these turbulent times. I love you Eren." Mikasa pleaded, her voice lessening in volume as her life escaped her.

"I can't be strong without you. I love you too. You were my sister and my only friend when everyone else had left" I sobbed into her chest,

"You can, you've done everything up to now without me. Your strong and I'm glad I got to watch you grow into the young women you've become today. But you misunderstand me Eren. I have feelings for you. I've been in love with you since we were old enough to comprehend what love was. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to tell you this. So please, Eren. Don't lose yourself because of me" Mikasa admitted, trying to comfort me when it should be the other way around. My eyes widened at her confession; I wasn't expecting this. This was the last thing I thought I would ever hear.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you the same love you share for me and I'm sorry you had to go through all this. You're such a special person who has and should continue to do great things. This isn't fair" I exclaimed, looking her in the eyes. She gave me a meek smile and it was obvious she had accepted her fate. More tears threatened to spill and I was clutching at straws trying to retain my resolve.

"I'm aware of that Eren and I've long since made my peace with that. I just thank you for the life I have gotten to share with you. It has come to an end but it was glorious. I'll see you in the next life." She spoke and I could feel her body growing limper by the second.

"See you in the next life. Have fun up there and don't forget about me" I smiled sadly, as I stroked soothing circles into her arms.

"I could never forget you Eren. You're the special one. Don't forget me either. I'll be looking down on you." She whispered. I suppose I could give her one last memorable thing. I'm not sure if she'd want that.

"Mikasa?" I asked hesitantly, weighing the decision up in my mind.

"Yes Eren?" She breathed, her breathing was growing shallower by the minute. Where was Hanji?

"I'm going to kiss you now" I said, all traces of confidence had left my being.

"I'd like that" She agreed with a small smile. I sank my head down to her, softly placing my lips upon hers. She weakly kissed me back with soft delicate lips. A tang of blood flooded my taste buds as the kiss drew on. Who knows, maybe if my feelings for Levi hadn't of been so strong, I would have fallen for Mikasa. I kissed her with all the passion I could muster, I wanted this to be memorable and her to enjoy it. I pulled away as I heard footsteps draw nearer. Hanji, Erwin and Armin had burst through the doors with two stretchers and a bag full of medical equipment.

"Thank you, guys. Now can you get Levi on a stretcher and take him to the medical tent while I see to Mikasa? Then report back and collect Mikasa. It's only a deep tissue wound. I should be able to save her if nothing's been ruptured." Hanji instructed them as she strode over to Mikasa and I. "Eren please can you go with them and don't return. I don't want you to see this. It won't be pretty and you should be with Levi when he wakes like he was for you." She ordered me as she set down her medical bag and began rummaging through it.

Before I could object, Mikasa began fitting and that set Hanji into a frenzy. Armin grabbed my arm and pulled me up to my feet. I nodded and followed the two men out.

We had lost a lot in the fight for freedom. I really hope it is worth the effort.


	32. Chapter 32

Brilliant beams of dazzling sunlight shone on the crystal-clear lake that was located in the palace's vast gardens. Dozens of beautifully unique and fragile rainbows scattered in all directions as the sun's rays softly caressed the water's surface. The scene was one of tranquillity however if you were to turn your head to the left of the serene gardens you'd find a different picture. Military green tents had been erected on the pristine, emerald green palace lawns and the site was bustling with soldiers of both sides. Men were carrying their comrades into the larger medic tent which had a massive red cross plastered hastily on the side. Others were carrying the dead off to the edge of the site where a team of men were bagging up the bodies so they could be transported away to a place they could be buried or burnt. There was no joy in the air, no laughter, no loud conversations. We had lost too much to celebrate; lost to many men in the hope of freedom. We had won, and don't get me wrong, everyone was extremely grateful and happy that we had but the price has been devastating for both sides. The atmosphere in the camp has become to suffocating as if it was a leech sucking out my very soul. I know that's a bit dramatic but my mind is a battleground of a mishmash of thoughts. I now had to figure out how and who was now going to run the country, how I was going to address the rest of the public, what ifs about Levi's and Mikasa's survival and dozens more questions that I could not answer by myself. I had come to sit beside this peaceful lake which waters softly lapped and the banks in a comforting rhythm that has helped to soothe my relentless mind.

"Eren? Are you okay?" A voice called out from behind me. I quickly glanced behind me before returning my gaze to the clarity of the water.

"I'd love to say yes to that question Armin, but I'm not. I just came to get away from it all for a moment. You know, just for some peace and quiet" I explained, watching a blue bird gracefully sweep across the lake, its feathers ruffling in the gentle breeze. Armin approached me and cautiously sat beside me on the luscious grass. Every movement he made was controlled and cautious. It was almost as if he expected me either to explode inexpediently like a bomb or shatter like fragile glass into a million pieces.

"I hope you don't mind if I sit with you. It's quite intense in the camp, I agree with you there. I could do with a few moments away from it all." Armin asked politely but really, he just felt awkward being somewhere with a person if they hadn't said it was okay for him to be there.

"It's okay, I wouldn't actually mind some company right now. It could take my mind of some things" I smiled warmly at him.

"Do you want to talk about some of your problems. I mean they used to say a problem solved is a problem halved before the war to end all wars happened!" He suggested attempting to try and cheer me up. Do you really want to know Armin? He may be able to help with my political issues but not my personal issues. But then again, at the end of the day he is still one of my best friends. I owe it to him to confide in him as he would to me.

"Armin, I don't think that's the correct saying! It's a problem halved is a problem solved!" I laughed at his innocent mistake. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out if he really was wrong. Coming up empty, his eyebrows furrowed further in frustration.

"I don't think I've ever heard that saying in my life" He finally exclaimed with wide leaf green eyes.

"Well trust me it is! And besides how well did following that teaching work out for them? I mean most of them got completely wiped out when the atom bombs were launched. Only a few survived!" I joked light heartedly which caused a wide grin to stretch across the blonde boy's face.

"Anyway Eren, you didn't answer my question! Do you want to talk about it or not?" He remarked. I decided I would tell him everything, after all I think he deserves to know because Mikasa and I often keep him out of the loop when it comes to personal matters.

"Yes, you may be able to help with some of my problems. But promise me that you won't judge me for my issues" I answered sheepishly, running my hands through my chocolate locks which I had now taken out of the pony tail that was a compulsory part of the female uniform. It had been too tight and now my scalp was tender, sore and painful.

"Thank you Eren. If I judged, you for your problems then that would make me a terrible friend now wouldn't it! Just tell me everything you want to and I'll try and help where I can." He replied warmly.

"I don't what to do now Armin! I feel so lost. You would have thought that after we finally accomplished our goal I'd be feeling content and satisfied with my life but that's just not the case. I don't know how approach leading this country but everyone else seems to think that I'm the most equipped for the task. I didn't expect that freeing this country from its oppressors would entail me becoming the leader after it was all over. I always imagined it would be Erwin or you that would take over after Konig's death. What if I make this country worse than it already is! What if I'm even worse than him. Oh, I just don't know what to do!" I rambled, describing my fears for the future in more depth then I needed to. It was true though. The fact that the rebellion we had been planning for years by ourselves and months with the other factions that wanted to help our cause and now everything was all over left me feeling void; the emptiness threatening to consume my sanity. What purpose was there now? I had achieved what I was destined for so what did I have left to live for. It would be best if they just treated me like a war criminal and executed me for my sins. I mean after all I did murder the leader.

"Eren, I understand that this is a daunting role that we have tasked you with but you will not be alone. Yes, you will be the one who is in control but you will have ministers who will oversee the specifics. You won't be running Hircea by yourself. Please understand that we'll never abandon you and leave you to fend for yourself. That is unfair. We selected you as the leader for a reason, Eren. After all, out of all of us, you are the best suited to the role. You are great with the people and you know what they want, they look up to you and they idolise you for freeing them from their oppressor. You will never be like Konig and the simple fact that you don't want to lead shows that you are nothing like him. He was a power-hungry tyrant and that was his hamartia. We'll get their Eren, I promise you" Armin explained, trying to console my fears and after hearing what everyone expected from me, my fears had subsided a lot. If I was just to be a figure head, then I was perfectly okay with that if I did get my say when it came to the important issues.

"Thank you, Armin. That is very reassuring to know that they don't expect as much as I thought they did. I appreciate your words." I thanked him as the war occurring in my mind began to die down gradually.

"Anything I can do to help you Eren. You've got a friend in me for life. But I sense that is not all that is bothering you? Would you like to continue?" Armin asked sympathetically as he noticed I still had an anxious look on my face.

"Well there is two other things but I wouldn't want to bore you Armin. There's probably things that you need to do. I don't want to waste your time" I said softly with a small smile. I didn't want to become a hindrance, especially not after what every had just gone through.

"You're not wasting my time. As I said earlier I came to get away from it all so you'd be doing me a favour. And you wouldn't be boring me Eren. I want to help you as much as I can. Especially after all you've done for me in the past" He said sharply, it seems I had hit a sore spot with my words. There you go again Eren, causing pain where you didn't mean to nor want to.

"Well, there's this thing with Mikasa and Levi. Whilst Mikasa and I were left by ourselves whilst we were waiting for Hanji she told me that she loved me and at the time I thought she was going to die. I mean we still don't know if she will survive her injuries as Hanji is still operating on her. I kind of kissed her as a dying wish but I know in my heart that I can never love her more than a sister. I've been thinking about it all afternoon but that's all I can see her as. I love Levi, with my entire heart and I'm scared he'll leave me after he finds out. It was a good-bye kiss but I'm sure it still counts as cheating. I don't want to lose him and on top of all that I'm scared that both Mikasa and Levi won't make it through their injuries and I'll lose both of them. I don't know how I'd survive if that happened. That would well and truly finish me." I admitted, shame laced in my words. A lump had formed in my throat and tears had begun brimming in my already sore and swollen eyes. Armin slung his arm around shoulder and began rubbing small comforting circles on my arm. I leant into his touch and a wave of calm washed over me. Memories of similar scenes from my childhood flooded my mind as Armin was calculating his response to the flood of information I had just told him.

"Well, you've gotten yourself into a right pickle there haven't you Eren." Armin laughed awkwardly as he ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair. "All I can say is, I'm sure if you're honest with both of them about how you really feel then it should work out for the best and if they leave you for being honest then you don't need them in your life. I can imagine that they will both be upset with you but they must imagine the situation you were in. Tell them as soon as possible though; the longer you leave it the worse it will be for you." He suggested, not really sure of what to say as Armin had never been in a situation like this before.

"Thank you for your help Armin. I feel so much better now. You're too good to me" I sniffled as I rested my head on his shoulder. I could feel the wide grin he now had plastered on his face burning a hole in my side as I couldn't see him.

"It's my pleasure. I'll always be here for you Eren. Just remember that." He muttered almost as if he didn't want me to hear what he was saying. We stayed in silence, just sitting in front of the picturesque lake with the sun beating down on our face and finding comfort in the serenity of our surroundings.

After a while we heard another set of footsteps approach us from behind. They were slow, steady and hesitant as if they were unsure of whether they wanted to grasp our attention.

"Eren?" It was Levi!


	33. Chapter 33

Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. I wanted to run and hug the man that stood before me but I decided against it as I could feel the anger and sadness radiating of the smaller man in waves. An unfamiliar emotion of hurt was deep in the Captain's eyes, his beautiful, bright blue eyes had been turned grey, tainted by his grief. Both Armin and I scrambled on to our feet and Armin now had an uncomfortable, flustered look upon his youthful face.

"Armin, you can leave if you want. You don't have to stay if you're feeling uncomfortable" I offered kindly, trying to relieve the younger man of predicament. A look of relief washed over his face and a grateful smile graced his face.

"Thank you Eren! I should help Erwin organise the next stage of the takeover. If you'll excuse me" He lied, nodding to Levi and then turning to me and telling me that he hopped that everything was going to be okay now and that I felt better. For which I thanked him for his help and he scurried of to the biggest tent which was the command tent.

"Levi…" I breathed, eyeing the condition Levi was in currently. He had his arm strapped up in a cast, a bandage wound around his head and plasters covering what was presumably stiches littered his body. A furious fire fuelled by anger and sadness burned in his eyes and his mouth was set into what only looked like a pained grimace.

"Eren, explain yourself! What's all this I'm hearing about you and Mikasa? What happened whilst I was out? I almost died and here you are whoring yourself out. Do you and Armin have a little fling going on to? Was Konig right about you?" Levi snapped furiously, his cheeks flushing red. Was he embarrassed.

"No! Levi, it's not like that-

"Well what is it like then Eren? Because from where I'm standing it sounds like you've cheated on me whilst I was out cold after risking my life for you" He snarled, stepping closer to me in an attempt to intimidate me. How could he think that? What had everyone been telling him whilst I was out here?

"Please let me explain and don't interrupt me. Okay?" I replied, trying to keep the gut wrenching hurt I was feeling at his accusations and the thought of losing him out of my voice. I didn't want to show my vulnerability as that is a weakness that can be exploited.

"Go on, I won't interrupt" He agreed, his voice still hard and stony. I hope he will understand. I really hope he will understand.

"Okay, so after you had passed out I was discussing the attack with Mikasa and Hanji when an arrow was shot straight into her back. It was protruding out where her heart should be. She was dying, so I sent Hanji off to get medical supplies for you and Mikasa and to fetch Erwin and Armin so they could carry you back to the medical tent. I also ordered her to find whoever did this and execute them. I never got chance to ask her if she did. Whilst I was waiting for Hanji, I tried to keep Mikasa conscious which I managed to do. However, she confessed to me that she loved me and that she had done since she was little. I thought she was going to die, so I kissed her. As a sort of good bye kiss." I looked down at my feet whilst taking deep breaths. Shame was all I could feel and my God, how it stung.

"So, you did kiss her?" Levi asked with so much sorrow in his words.

"Yes, I did. And I knew that after I had done it was wrong and that I'd regret it but all I wanted to do at the time was to make Mikasa's dying moments happy. I was so wrapped up in losing one of my best friends that I didn't think about the repercussions. I'm sorry Levi, all I can do is apologise. I want to express how conflicted I was about. I've been sat here most of the day thinking about what I'm going to do. I was fretting over everything. Armin had had enough of the commotion in camp and he came out here for some peace and quiet. He saw that I was upset and like any decent best friend would do he sat down with me and tried to comfort me. In which he did a fantastic job. I managed to find the solutions to my problems with his advice. I was about to come and find you and tell you but here you are. And one thing I discovered during this whole ordeal was how much I'm completely and irrevocably in love with you Levi Ackerman and can't believe that I was lucky enough to have you in my life. And I can whole heartedly tell you that I do not have any feelings beside those you would have for a sibling for Mikasa and the kiss only confirmed that. I love you Levi. Please forgive me" I explained passionately, but my head was no longer drooped in embarrassment, no I told him all this whilst looking him straight in the eye. I let my emotions seep through into my words and tears soon began to follow through with that action. Levi's face softened as he took in what I was saying before hardening and a scowl replacing the anger he had displayed on his face previously.

"How do I not know you aren't lying to me in an attempt to keep me wrapped around you little finger Eren? I don't know if I can trust you anymore" He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought through all the information he now had.

"Let me show you then" I whispered as a surge of confidence took over my body. Why did I think this was a good idea? I don't know but then again everything's worth a try. Is it not?

"Huh?" Levi exclaimed as his head shot up to look at me in confusion. It was as if my body was on auto pilot and I could no longer control what I was doing. I slowly stepped forward and wound my arms around his neck. His ebony hair had grown longer than it usually was and it was deliciously soft, I noticed as I ran my hand through it.

"Eren what are you doing to me" he muttered softly as he rested his forehead on my own and his reflexes made him wind his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. His embrace felt like home and it was all the comforting I needed. All past doubt of the future had flown away like a migrating bird in the winter. I wanted this. I wanted a future with him. He was all I needed.

"I love you Levi" I breathed as I softly planted my lips upon his own. Surprisingly he returned my kiss, his lips softly caressing my own. Both of us expressing what we felt in the kiss. He displayed all the hurt I had put him through but there was also love and relief in his motions. I put all the love and passion I could muster into the kiss, trying to make him realise I was telling the truth and understand just how vast my love for him was. Because Levi had been pushing against me, I stepped backwards, trying to keep our lips connected. I didn't want the kiss to end, it was too heavenly and it could potentially be our last. At that thought a huge wave of unbearable sadness washed over me and I didn't realise that I had lost my balance until I felt my back hit the soft grass beneath me. Levi followed me, preventing himself from hurting me by catching himself on his left hand which was beside me. A huge, cheesy grin had spread across Levi's inhumanely beautiful face as he realised what was happened.

"I don't know how to tell you this Levi but I'm really falling for you" I joked, noticing the opportunity for a bad joke. He chuckled before recapturing my mouth with his skilled lips. His hand ran down my side before resting on my hip. Our kiss lasted for what felt like a little slice of forever but it ended to soon. As Levi pulled away, I pulled a puppy face at the lost contact with his lips which caused him to laugh at me.

"I didn't plan to do this after what I found out earlier but Eren I love you too much to let you go and if you really feel the way that you tell me you do then there's point waiting. Eren, you've made me a better man, I'm more compassionate, I feel more and life just seems a whole lot greater than it did before you came into my life. I'm so glad saved you as a child and then when you re-entered my life you restored the colour to my life. I thank you for that as it is you who truly saved me. I know I asked you this before we set of for the fight and well I've asked you countless times actually but I wanted to make it official." He explained, heartfeltly. His words bought tears to my eyes. I didn't know he felt this way. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "Eren Yeager. Will you do the honour of becoming my wife. I don't ever want to let you go and this is a symbol of it" He proposed, his eyes hopeful. All signs of anger and sadness where gone and in their place, was only hope and love. My heart sored at his words. I couldn't express how much I wanted to say yes but the words wouldn't come out. I nodded frantically as my tongue chocked on the words it could not say.

"I'll take that as a yes" He chuckled as he opened the box revealing a delicate silver ring. It was simple but stunning. It had one medium sized Dimond centred in the middle with a ring of dark blue topazes surrounding it. "This ring used to be my mother's engagement ring before she died so please take care. It is one of the only things I have that were hers" He explained as he slid the ring down my small, narrow ring finger. Luckily the band fit perfectly. I couldn't believe it but was soon to become Mrs Ackerman. I latched my lips on to his once more, happiness radiating of the two of us as if it were some kind of contagious disease.

"Thank you" I laughed as I broke away from him.

"The pleasures all mine Miss Yeager" He smirked, winking at me.

"Eren! Levi! Get over here now!" A voice yelled across the field. I sighed as I peeled myself of Levi and begun to get up. Levi grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me back down on top of him.

"One last thing. I love you" He said simply before planting one last kiss on my lips. We walked back to the command tent, hand in hand and hopeful for the future.


	34. Chapter 34

Over two months had passed since that fatal battle for freedom and the long, strenuous process of rebuilding the kingdom had begun. Although the promise of prosperity hung above our heads, my stomach still felt sick with the thought something worse was coming that had latched itself in my mind, spreading it's seeds of doubt. We had held a vote for what type of leadership the people wanted after I had killed Konig and to my disbelief and distaste they had voted for a monarchy. They had also requested that we were to have duel leadership (a king and a queen) from our factions. Thus, the faction system had been abolished and replaced with one family ruling. For now, and until the marriage of Levi and me, we will be known as the prince and princess of Hircea. This was only because Eric wanted him to become king and not prince, otherwise I would have been coroneted as queen the week after Konig had been disposed of.

So, what's happening currently? Well I'm sat in a shabby bar on the outskirts of the capital on a 'hen' party. Hanji had been reading some book predating the War to End all Wars explaining customs they used to do. Apparently, people used to go out with their friends, waste a ton of money on strippers, phallic objects and alcohol before getting married. This inspired Hanji to take me out 'clubbing' dressed in 'hen' attire. This translated in Hanji dressing me as a feathered bird and taking me to one of the few dilapidated pubs with the rest of the female higher-ranking officials from our squads – Mikasa, Annie, Sasha, Christa and Ymir She'd also forced Erwin to take Levi and the boys out on the male equivalent of this ridiculous affair – a 'stag' night.

The pub we had been dragged into was dimly lit by small candlesticks which had been dotted randomly through the established. A thick smell of smoke hug in the area, clinging to everything it could latch its disgusting tendrils into. Each booth was cramped with cracked, stained leather seats that had faded into a dirty brown colour. The old oak tables were covered with a thin layer of grim as if they hadn't been cleaned in months, giving the wood a tarnished, sticky feel. The crumpled, broken coasters stuck to their place on the table, almost as if they would disintegrate if they were moved an inch. Hanji had gone to get the round in and everyone sat at one of these vomit-inducing booths; everyone but me. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely happy and excited for the wedding which was going to be tomorrow but I had a weight hanging on my shoulders, threatening to constrict around me and suffocate me. I couldn't unwind and have fun with my friends because of this very reason…

"Eren what's up? This nights about you! Don't tell me you're not enjoying yourself! Oh gosh I'd feel so terrible if I've ruined the eve of your wedding! I'm ever so –

"Hanji, its fine. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better night. It's not your fault. I just can't relax; there's too much going on right now to even contemplate it!" I sighed, thinking about the mountains of work that loomed over me as if I were a prisoner awaiting my death.

"Eren! You don't need to constantly worry about what needs doing! Take a night of and let the weight lay on someone else's shoulders for once. Come on!" She exclaimed, trying to hide the annoyance in her tone. A surge of guilt flooded through my body. She had gone through the effort to research a way to make tonight special and then arrange it therefore the least I could do would be to at least pretend to enjoy myself. Timidly, a small smile stretched across my face as she stretched out a hand to me.

"Come on, let's go let our hair down" Hanji laughed, as I took her hand. Her soft, delicate hands gripped mine with the tightness of a vice. Was this woman even human? She dragged me to the dance floor which was only a fraction nicer than the grotty booth I had just been sat at. The rest of our group had already moved to the dance floor whilst Hanji had been getting the drinks and I had been moping. Candlelight illuminated the dark, smoky area, slowly flickering in its own dance. Music blared loudly from speakers, hidden amongst the depths of the murky shadows. I was handed some elaborate cocktail that was a bright crimson red that faded to a pure snowy white colour and the glass had some sort of crushed sweet which shards were jagged and uneven. Hanji informed me that I was to try and drink it all in one go; 'a shot' she called it. As I downed it, the sharp taste of raspberries shot through my taste buds and the bitter taste of alcohol, what I could only assume was vodka, burnt the back of my throat. Wincing at the after taste, I gladly accepted the second, and the third and the fourth drink, knocking them back like there was no tomorrow until I lost count of how many I had consumed. The night began to blur after that; loud music ringing in my ear and the flashing of the strobe lights surrounding the dance floor became all I was aware of as I let myself let loose. As I became more and more intoxicated, the less I began to care about the atrocities I had seen, I had committed and the pressure of what lay ahead in the future. No, in this moment I wasn't her, I wasn't the brave leader of the rebellion, I wasn't the future queen, I wasn't any one special. No, in this moment I was the little girl robbed of her childhood, the carefree, adventurous child whose headstrong antics would always get her into trouble, the little girl who still had her mother….

Hours flashed by like they were a flock of migrating birds, only meant to stay for a short period of time. The seconds all blurred into one, merging together as if they were clay being melded together, the colours mixing into one unanimous, unclear mess. Before I knew it, my eyes drooped heavily like I hadn't slept for weeks and everything went black…..

Rays of warm sunlight splashed my face, stroking my cheek as if it were a mother caring for her young or even a lover comforting their other half. The warmth spread through me in pleasurable waves attempting to lull me back into the slumber I had almost broken free from. I felt as if I were floating on a cloud high up in the sky, weightless and free. Basking in the elated feeling, I slowly opened my eyes only to be met with blindingly bright light that sent an ear splitting pain shooting through my head. The peaceful, relaxed feeling I had been just been enjoying had been shattered into smithereens, totally and utterly crushed. What was wrong with me? My head felt like a dead weight as if I had a boulder attached to my neck and every time I attempted to move an excruciatingly painful spasm shot through my head as if someone had just used me as target practise and shot an arrow straight through my skull. Am I dying? A bitter laugh echoed out from deep in my throat. I had survived all this time, all this terror, all this turmoil, for what? To be killed by a measly headache. What a joke.

Suddenly, the door smashed open, loudly crashing against the stone wall which in turn, caused me to cringe as the loud noise also triggered more pain crashing in waves on my already battered brain. From the door way emerged a scarily joyful Hanji, holding a tray only containing water and a small cardboard box.  
"Eren! Good morning! How are you feeling on this beautiful day? I feel this is a good omen from the God's don't you think-

"Hanji, please shut up! You're being too loud" I groaned, pulling my pillow over my head in an attempt to block some of her noise out.

"Oh has little baby Eren gotten her first hang over? Isn't that cute. Remember today is an important day! You need to get up now" She mocked, dragging out the last word she said in an annoying, cheerful tone.

"You mean I'm not dying?" I asked, feeling a bit happier with myself.

"No. no. no. You are dying silly! But you just need to take some painkillers and drink some fluids. Maybe ask the maids to make you a greasy fry up and you'll be fine!" She beamed, handing me the glass and then continuing to pop some white pills out of their casing. Panic surged through my veins at her first word only to dissipate immediately and be replaced with white hot annoyance. Hanji was really an individual character that you couldn't ever dream up.

"Geez thanks for that bit of information. Don't we all enjoy being reminded that we're mortal" I muttered sarcastically, placing one of tablets in my mouth and swallowing it with a gulp of refreshing, clear water.

"Hurry up and get out of bed" She replied cheerily, almost skipping over to the entrance way to my room. "I mean it's not like we've a wedding to prepare for!"


	35. Chapter 35

Wincing, I slowly dragged myself out of the blissful warmth of my comfortable bed. Stretching, whilst letting out what seemed like the biggest yawn I could muster, I stared out the window taking in the beautiful landscape that surrounded the house. Brilliant emerald green fields glistened like jewels before being swallowed by the wild, unruly forest. Dozens of wild flowers littered the grass as if they were imperfectly perfect chips to the emerald field. In front of the sprawling fields lay a medium sized, crystal clear lake that glimmered like a mirror as the sun's brilliant beams caressed the surface. It was almost unbelievable that this grand old house existed in this peaceful, serene area which is only a short horse ride away from the capital and the carnage, pain and suffering that ravaged the city like a hungry dog.

The smell of bacon wafted upstairs, it's delicious tendrils an enchantress luring me into the kitchen. I slowly staggered into the kitchen where Hanji was sat, reading a newspaper at the country table located in front of a large, ornate window overlooking the lake. My heart began to flutter as of it had a mind of its as I looked over at the stove where the intoxicating smell, which had invoked painful rumbling in the pits of my stomach, had originated from. My eyes were met with the sight of Levi's broad shoulders and slender waist. A pink apron was tied around his waist and his usually pristine and perfect undercut was ever so slightly dishevelled suggesting he had only just gotten up himself. Wasn't it a bit late for Levi to get up? He was an early bird… how strange.

Hanji peered up from her newspaper, smiling at me as I stumbled sleepily into the farmhouse style kitchen.  
"Good morning Eren" She greeted me before turning her attention back towards her paper. Hanji has always been one to enjoy information than socialising or so I'm told. She'd been this way ever since I first encountered her prior to the uprising.  
"Good morning Hanji, Morning Levi" I muttered as I went to grab a coffee to awaken myself as the sweet lull of sleep was still loosely coiled around my mind creating a hazy fog there. Levi grunted in response keeping his attention focused on the bacon sizzling away in the pan emitting such delicious aromas.

I poured myself a mug of coffee and joined Hanji at the table. Staring out at the lake, I sipped at my coffee. The bitterness of the drink was sweet satisfaction as it warmed my body and was like a shot of adrenalin to my mind; kickstarting it into activity. I watched as a mother duck taught her babies how to swim on the great expanse of water. Delicate ripples fanned out from the kicking motions of the duckling's small, delicate feet. The birds were carefree, only having to worry about staying with their mother. She would take care of them even if her life was a stake. I feel for that duck, having so much pressure upon her shoulders but still carrying on because she wants, never questioning why she is doing it, regardless of the thanks she gets. I wish I was as strong as that mother duck. What am I on about? Why am I feeling jealous of a duck? How low have I sunken? Pull yourself together Eren.

So deeply engrossed in my thoughts I failed to notice Levi had set a plate of tasty looking food down in front of both me and Hanji and had now joined us at the table.  
"Eren? Are you okay?" He asked, his voice deep and rough. His azure eyes wide with concern.  
"Me? I'm fine. Just spaced out that's all. How about you Levi? How are you on this fine morning?" I smiled as wide as I could almost as if I was attempting to convince myself I was fine. I should be happy. It's my wedding day after all.  
"I have the worst hangover, I'm shattered and my hay fever is pretty bad today aside from that I'm fantastic… excited even" He replied, shovelling a forkful of food into his mouth. How strange… Levi was very particular about how he ate. He ate one part of his meal at a time – he separated all the different components out into piles and ate them all individually. He took his time making sure every mouthful was carefully chewed so he could savour the taste and so he was less likely to choke. Everything he did was meticulously done, never breaking his routine. However today, he had done none of this and was eating as if he were trying to win a hotdog eating contest. How strange…. I raised my eyebrow at him, questioning his actions and his words.  
"What?" He asked his mouth still crammed with food.  
"Oh nothing, it's just your acting a little strange today" I answered with a small smile. I didn't want him to get annoyed at me.  
"Really? Maybe I'm just happy" he joked, cutting into a bit of sausage. We ate our meal in silence, Hanji finishing before us and muttering something about needing to finish preparations before scurrying hurriedly out of the room leaving Levi and I in a comfortable silence as we enjoyed our breakfast. I hadn't realised how ravenous I had been until the tangy, sizzling taste of bacon splashed my tongue. A small moan of pleasure drifted out of my mouth as I bit down on the piece of bacon, savouring the taste. Levi's eyes shot over to me, his eyebrows furrowing in discontent. I smiled innocently as I took another bite of my breakfast; this time opting for a slice of sausage. My belly grumbled in thanks as the inferno that was my hunger was slowly sedated. I carried on making noises as I appreciated my breakfast, causing Levi's brows to furrow further and his fist to clench around his eating utensils. I chuckled as I got up and walked towards the excessively shiny sink… Levi must have already cleaned this a million times by the looks of it. I placed the dirty bowl carefully in the sink alongside Hanji's and began to turn away to join her upstairs when I felt strong, powerful arms loop around my waist.

"You know it's not nice to tease people" he growled in my ear, kissing my neck softly but with a hint of possessiveness.  
"I wasn't teasing you, I was merely enjoying my breakfast. Not my fault if you got something more from that" I smirked, turning myself to face him. His crystal blue eyes darkened a shade when he heard what I said. However, I don't think he was angry.  
"if that wasn't teasing I don't know what it was- "I cut him off as I planted a kiss on his lips. His arms looped around my waist and his hands rested on my bottom. He gently pushed me against the counter as he attempted to deepen the kiss. It was sweet. It was delicate. It was perfect. Wait … this wasn't supposed to happen yet. After all, don't they say just seeing each other before the wedding on the day of the wedding is bad luck; this would be on a whole other level…  
"I have to go" I breathed in between kisses "Hanji's expecting me"  
"Stay…" He grunted, trailing kisses along my jaw and down my neck.  
"No seriously, I have to" I laughed, pushing his chest softly to get him to back off which he reluctantly did. "And besides, it's bad luck to see each other before the wedding" I added as I left the kitchen, practically dancing with elated happiness. My heart swelled with the intensity of the love I held for the midget I had left behind me, I couldn't wait to be his wife.

"Eren? Have you finally finished eating now? Get your ass up here now! There is so much to do, I don't even know if I can accomplish it all now in the brief time you've left me with-  
"Hanji. Chill. Please for your own sake or you'll give yourself a premature heart attack" I joked attempting to calm down her neurotic episode.  
"Excuse me Eren but I wouldn't be in this predicament if it wasn't for you not sticking to my schedule" She hissed, grabbing my wrist and yanking me back up the stairs hurriedly.  
"I didn't even know there was a schedule to be honest. Did you tell me there was one?" I asked sheepishly as she turned her head to look me directly in the eyes, a scowl set on her reddening face. "I'll take that as a yes then. Well to be honest with you Hanji, if you hadn't got me wrecked last night this probably would have gone all according to your plan. Therefore, I blame you" I said trying to justify my careless attitude to my own wedding but my efforts were all in vain and I only dug myself deeper into the hole I had created. Great.

"Eren. If I were you, I'd sit down, shut up and let me get you prepared for our wedding. You know what should be your happiest day of your life, not the day I murder you"


	36. Chapter 36

A wooden vanity that had been painted white with swirling leaf designs embracing the edges of the mirror, the leaf vines looped their selves around the circumference, twisting into a delicate flower at the top of the mirror stood in front of a large, equally ornate window which showed of the tremendously beautiful surroundings that encircled the palace like a silent protector. An elaborate bed stood opposite the vanity, pushed up against the wall. The bed posts twisted upwards into a canopy. Each post was decorated with silver leaves giving the illusion of tree trunks. An elegant, baby pink curtain cascaded down off the snow-white frame. The bedding was also a mixture of white and baby pink materials. It was a grand centre piece in the room. At the foot of the king-sized bed was a fluffy, soft white rug that covered the expanse of floor between the bed and the vanity.

In front of the vanity, perched on a pink stool that perfectly matched the rest of the room was me. I hadn't been allowed in this room until now. This palace had belonged to the former royals of the nation this land had belonged to before, I couldn't remember what that was however. Therefore, Hanji thought it was fitting that Levi and I moved into this room once we were wedded as it had belonged to the former King and his queen. The condition was that we could only enter on our wedding day. I guess they had to refurbish the room for today as most of the palace was derelict and unusable when we arrived here. It was Hanji's idea to prepare me for my wedding here and I wasn't complaining as I gazed in awe at the stunning interior that surrounded me. Not so long ago I had been living in a rundown farm house with my faction and now here I was in a palace. That's what some would call results.

The girl staring back at me through the mirror was one I could no longer recognise. She had long, silky brunette hair cascading down her shoulders in loose curls and a silver tiara, encrusted with a single emerald in the centre and a dozen glittery diamantes surrounding, was perched on her head, holding a thin, white, translucent veil over her hair. The veil had a beautiful lace pattern on the edge and the main body of the veil was also encrusted with diamantes. This vastly differed to my usual hairdo which only ever consisted of a simple ponytail pulled messily back whilst I was frantically hurrying to get ready for my day. The girl's face was also painted in a way it had never been before. Hanji had taken the makeup that we used for military use and enhanced my natural features so they stood out more. She had taken a brown colour and applied that all over my eyelids combined with a glittery gold colour in the inner corners of my eyes. Then she applied a black line above my lashes, flicking it out to create what she had called a 'wing'. This had made my already intense, emerald eyes stand out more. Hanji had then applied this stuff to my face that cancelled all colour out of it with some other things. What intrigued me the most was the sparkly, light gold glitter she had brushed on to my cheeks. I was a kid at heart and sparkly things amused me. The look was finished off with a light, pinkie-red 'lipstick'. I admired Hanji's work, she was clearly skilled at making people look better which worried me… what if Levi preferred this version of me more?

"What do you think Eren?" She asked, smiling brightly, clearly pleased with her work.  
"Hanji, it's beautiful…. Thank you so much" I smiled hesitantly at her, admiring her handwork in the mirror.  
"Why do I sense a but? You must tell me if you don't like something Eren! It is your wedding after all! Not mine" Her smile disappeared quickly, anxiety apparent in her tone. A feeling of regret hit the pit of my stomach like someone had just set of a bomb.  
"No, no! Hanji, honestly, I really like what you've done with me. I just find it a bit weird. I've never seen myself looking like this. I just hope Levi likes me like this" I laughed nervously, afraid of hurting Hanji's feelings even more than I had already, accidently done. The panic in her face, drained away as if someone had pulled the plug out of a bath and happiness refilled were the panic had once been as she heard my issue.  
"Oh don't worry about that Eren dear. Levi will like you in whatever form you are in. Heck, I think he'd even love you if you were a boy. It was written in the stars!" She exclaimed loudly as she pulled me up from the stool. A small smile stretched across my face at her attempts to console me. Thank you Hanji.

"Now, the time is…. quarter to 12…. SHOOT!" Hanji, shouted suddenly and dashed off out of the room. When she returned she held a big bag that I assumed contained the dress I was to wear.  
"Eren, I'm going to have to dress you up quickly because you have to be at the wedding in 15 minutes. I took too long on your hair and makeup. Gosh, they're going to kill me if your late" She rambled frantically as she pulled the dress out of the bag. A mountain of white material erupted out of the beige bag, almost completely obscuring Hanji as she brought it towards me.  
"Now Eren, do you have the correct underwear on?" Hanji asked sternly, peering down her glasses at me from the ball of cloth.  
"Yes of course I do…" I muttered as my cheeks began burning. Luckily the layers of makeup hid my embarrassment from the crude woman before me.  
"Good good. Strip off then and we'll get you into this." She instructed as she fiddled with the back of the dress. I pushed the strap of the satin night dress of both shoulders and it fell softly and gracefully to the floor with little effort. Hanji worked like an angry whirlwind, trying to fasten the dress as quickly as she could. The dress was exquisite, and simply stunning. The dress had off the shoulder straps and a tightly fitted bodice clung to my small frame, emphasising curves I didn't even know were there. And from the waist, spilled a luxurious wave of satin into a full skirt that trailed behind me. The skirt was decorated with a beautiful lace flower design which gave the illusion I was forever walking upon a flower garden. Hanji had truly made me up to be a princess, however I still felt as if I were the daughter of the poor district's only daughter…. Why did I deserve this? To complete my look, I had a simple pair of white satin pumps decorated with a single emerald on the centre of the foot. They had decided on flats as they thought I was not to be trusted with heels because of how clumsy I was. I think it was also so I didn't tower over Levi as I'm already taller than him without heels.

"Hurry up Eren! You're going to be late if you don't get your ass down to the chapel right now!" She exclaimed as a knocked sounded on the bedroom door. "That will be Armin. He was supposed to meet us at the entrance to the chapel but he must have come looking for us" She glanced at her watch once more, her eyes widening in panic as she read the time. "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! They're going to kill me, we're nearly 15 minutes late" She explained, panic laced in her words as she practically flew towards the door. The door swung open to reveal a flushed, anxious Armin, which wasn't much different than usual, however a look of panic was apparent in his pale blue eyes.  
"Is Eren ready? Is she having second thoughts? Levi is going frantic down there even though she's not really that late. What's going on?" Armin fired away at the panicked woman, trying to get a grasp on the current situation.  
"I've just taken too long preparing her that's all. Tell them not to worry and to blame me and my scatter brain. I apologise greatly. She'll be down in less than 5 minutes." Hanji rushed, practically pushing Armin out of the door so he could tell the others. And within seconds he had rushed off to go deliver her message.

"Now are you ready Eren?" A brilliant smile flashed across her face as she turned to look back at me.  
A brief smile flashed across my face, as my stomach was consumed by a swarm of furious wasps. I was defiantly nervous… "As ready as I'll ever be" I replied as confidently as I could.  
"Great, now let's go get you married!"


	37. Chapter 37

My heart thudded erratically in my chest, my stomach a flutter of butterflies and my palms were almost sweating torrential rain as Hanji linked her arm throughout mine. It was time; my wedding to Levi that I had anxiously awaited for months. Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic but my nerves were almost like a boa constrictor squeezing the joy out of everything. I'd be fine once I was in there….

I inhaled a deep breath as Hanji pushed open the heavy oak doors that led to the chapel. The classic wedding march invaded my ears with it's sweet symphonies as the door creaked open. Brilliant light filled the room, illuminating the room in a multitude of colours and is infiltrated the room through technicolour stain glass windows. A long aisle stretched to the altar, a ruby red carpet stretching it's length. Displays of white roses adorned the edges of the aged pews that stood either side of the aisle. Dozens of candles were scattered throughout the chapel, there tiny, flickering amber light danced as it seduced the darkness with it's light.

My eyes wondered cautiously down the aisle to the alter as Hanji led me towards it. When my eyes finally focused on Levi it felt as if time stood still, my breath caught in the back of throat as crystal blue eyes caught my own. He looked perfect, almost inhumanely perfect… How did I manage to catch him? His jet-black hair, styled in its usual undercut, fell haphazardly around his face, delicately framing the sharp planes of his face. He was dresses in a plain black suit, which had been immaculately tailored to perfectly outline his slim, toned physique. The contrast of the black suite made his pale ivory skin appear even whiter, almost as if he were the undead. His rosy lips were stretched in a soft smile as he watched me approach him, the smile echoed in his deep blue eyes. He was almost like an angel; he was too perfect.

I came to a halt at the altar, glancing over at the crowd of friends and family gathered in the pews. I didn't realise that we knew that many people…  
"You look stunning" Levi whispered, a goofy smile still plastered across his face. A small smile mirrored on my own face.  
"You don't look so bad yourself" I responded with a smirk. The priest looked between us both before gesturing to the guests to be seated.

"Shall we begin?" The priest asked, waiting for no answer and jumping straight into the ceremony. "Dear friends and family, we are here to witness the union of Eren Yeager and Levi Ackerman. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. But before I begin the ceremony…. Is there any reason why these two should not be wed" Silence echoed through the room, no one responding to his question.

"Excellent news, now lets begin. When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. Such is an impossibility, and even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is what many of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern, as they share their common journey. Now it is time for your vows. I understand you have prepared your own?" The priest spoke clearly, his voice ringing out throughout the silence in the chapel. His words cutting through everyone in truth, seriousness and clarity. We nodded in agreement at the man's question. "Levi, you are first then"

Worry flickered across his face momentarily as he gulped, this was the most emotional I had ever seen Levi and knowing this warmed my heart. Only I could make him feel this way….  
"Eren, ever since you came in to my life like the whirlwind you are, my life has been changed for the better. With you I have become a more compassionate, understanding, more human man. You've thawed the ice cold walls I had built around myself and made me a better man than I thought I could ever be. I never thought I'd be able to love anyone as deeply as I do you and I can't wait to build a future with you, a family with you, a life with you. I can't believe I'm the one who gets to love and cherish you for the rest of our lives. I promise to love you until the day I die, you're my best friend. I love you" He finished, his beautiful blue eyes glossy from where he looked like he was on the brink of tears. Tears slipped down my own face as my heart swelled at his words. How did I deserve a man this wonderful.

"Eren?" the priest asked, pressing me to say my own vows. I forced down the lump that had formed in my throat and wiped away the tears that had fallen.  
"Levi, I have no idea where to begin. Ever since I first laid eyes on you in the dark alleyway I knew you were special, knew you were different, only I was too young to understand why. Now I know. You're perfect, in more ways that I can even begin to say. Anyone else would have grown tired of my personality, of my flaws, of my attitudes. But not you. No, you stuck with me, through thick and thin and I can't even express how much that means to me or how grateful I am. I also can't believe I get to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. But I know one thing for sure…. Levi Ackerman, I'm hopelessly and irrevocalbly in love with you" I gushed, trying to express just how much I loved him. Tears were now freely flowing down my face, smudging Hanji's handy work but I didn't care. I was the happiest I had been in my entire life.

"Now Levi, repeat after me" The priest said blandly, and Levi nodded in acknowledgement, "I, Levi Ackerman take thee Eren Yeager"  
"I, Levi Ackerman take thee Eren Yeager"  
"To have and to hold"  
"To have and to hold"  
"For better or for worse"  
"For better or for worse"  
"for richer or for poorer"  
"For richer or for poorer"  
"In Sickness and in health,"  
"In Sickness and in health,"  
"to love and to cherish"  
"to love and to cherish"  
" from this day forward until death do us part."  
" from this day forward until death do us part." Levi repeated effortlessly, completing his vows. He slid a simple gold ring down my ring finger as he finished his sentence, giving a blinding smile the entire time.

"Eren, repeat after me" I followed suite and completed my vows, in turn putting Levi's ring in it's rightful place on his finger. A smile on my own face as I did so.  
"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride" Levi calmly strode forward, placing his palms on my cheeks and planting a firm kiss on my lips. My arms wound around his waist and I let myself sink in the kiss. He tasted of home, of safety and strangely of strawberries. After years of feeling like the like a stray, not truly feeling like I belonged anywhere, I finally felt like this was where I was supposed to be. Like I belong. Our lips parted and he rested his forehead on mine, both breathless.

"Family and Friends I present to you for the first time Mr and Mrs Levi Ackerman!" A round of applause rang out through the chapel as we bathed in the happiness and joy of what could be. A loud clap sounded louder and sharper, almost sarcastically above the rest of them as a man strode nonchalantly down the aisle towards us. His face covered by a large cowboy hat, however a smirk, laced with malice, was visible from underneath the hat.

"How touching" The man drawled in a mocking tone, his voice deep and gravelly.  
"How can we help you? This is a private event" Levi snapped, breaking away from me and stepping closer to the intruder.  
"I'm very aware of that." He said sharply, removing the hat but making sure he kept his face covered. "And you know Eren… I'm quite offended you didn't invite me" the man growled, anger seeping into his words.  
"Why would she invite you? Who are you?" Levi jabbed, his face set in a scowl. Who ever this man was, what gave him the right to spoil our special day? The hat fell to the floor. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. There was so much tension in the room, it was suffocating. My eyes widened as I took in the mans face. He had bright emerald green eyes and a mop of greasy brown hair paired with five o'clock shadow. A scar stretched diagonally across his left cheek. I knew these eyes. After all these eyes had stared back at me in the mirror for my entire life. Disbelief flooded my body making me feel sick to my stomach.

"Dad?" I gasped before my entire world went black. They say the devil comes to you when it's your moments on earth are running low….. what does that say about me?

THE END


	38. AN

Hey guys! It's finally finished after two years! Now I still need to edit the chapters to make them as close to perfect as possible but the bare story is there! Thank you for sticking with me throughout the writing of this! I hope it was some what enjoyable to read. And a disclaimer for the whole thing! I don't own any of the characters or any reference to Attack on Titan but the plot line in my own creation. This was practise for writing a novel that I hope to get published one day. Well I hope to publish this one day - obviously with all the references to attack on Titan gone. That is why I will be spending so much time fine tuning this :).

Again thank you for reading!

\- Rosie x


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